Elite highway nightmare shows need for forward planning

The Elite Highway, once designed to swiftly connect Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to northern Selangor, has transformed into a major regional distributor handling heavy traffic from a broader area. Built in the mid-1990s and completed in 1997, the 60km expressway initially had seven interchanges but now boasts 12, with the KLIA connection serving as a secondary spur.

While developers and concessionaires benefit from new interchange connections, the question arises whether the authorities accounted for the cumulative traffic impact of each new interchange. The highway now carries more than just airport-bound traffic, with the strain on capacity evident during peak travel times. KLIA, which handled 63.3 million passengers in 2025, has seen substantial growth, leading to a surge in accompanying traffic.

The lack of an alternative route, such as the stalled MEX 2 project, exacerbates the issue. A comprehensive study is now needed to assess current and future travel demand to and through Elite, determining the demand's origins and how it should be distributed across the road and rail network. The ultimate goal should not be merely to build more roads but to create a transport network with sufficient capacity, resilience, and alternatives, ensuring smoother travel to KLIA and enhancing overall mobility.