Inside KL’s SMART Tunnel: The hidden work behind its flood-fighting operation
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — On a daily basis, motorists driving through the motorway section of Kuala Lumpur’s SM...
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — While motorists drive through the SMART Tunnel’s motorway section, they may not consider the hidden operations behind the two closed gates. Inside this 9.7km-long facility, a stormwater system mitigates floods by diverting excess water from the confluence of Sungai Klang and Sungai Ampang. The tunnel’s engineering required a massive 13.2-metre-diameter Slurry Mix-Shield tunnel-boring machine, creating a versatile passage for both vehicles and floodwater.
A Tagged as 'Mode 1', the tunnel operates normally during regular conditions, but it switches to 'Mode 2' where excess water flows through the lower section, and 'Mode 3' where the motorway closes to traffic. Activation of 'Mode 3' is a precaution, while 'Mode 4' floods the motorway to trap excess water, redirecting it to Taman Desa Pond.
The gates reveal the tunnel’s capacity to function as both a road and a flood channel, activated 11 times since 2007. After floodwater is drained and debris cleared, the tunnel may take up to four days to reopen, costing around RM500,000 per activation.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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