The SMART Tunnel has been open now for the past 3 days, and the 3km tunnel is still free of toll for a month so that motorists can try it out. No indication of toll rates so far, but Works Minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu has indicated that the toll for the tunnel would definitely be high – some rumours around the grassroots have indicated a price of perhaps RM3 to RM4!
Only cars, MPVs and SUVs are allowed in the tunnel – no bikes, buses or lorries are allowed. As most of you know, the SMART Tunnel is a dual purpose tunnel for both road and floodwater diversion, however the floodwater function will only be operational in August this year. The road function offers an alternative route to the Golden Triangle area – a car entering the tunnel via the entrance at Jalan Sungai Besi wil end up at either Jalan Davis or Jalan Tun Razak near the Kampung Pandan roundabout.
With the heavy traffic on the route to that area, it is estimated that motorists using the SMART tunnel will be able to cut down travelling time from half an hour to about 5 to 10 minutes. Considering the amount of fuel my car consumes during heavy traffic jams, as long as the frustration that comes with it – honestly that RM4 might just be worth it for me! We’ll have to start paying toll for the tunnel come 15th June 2007.
Local blogger Melvin has driven through the tunnel and produced a set of 4 videos. He has recorded the whole journey through the tunnel, as well as made some remarks on what he observed in the video, some interesting stuff like whether there is Amateur Radio reception in the tunnel or not. Please also head on to his set of 4 blog posts linked after the jump if you want to read further observations he made.
Check the videos out after the jump.
Video: SMART Visited Part 1 – Source
Video: SMART Visited Part 2 – Source
Video: SMART Re-Visited Part 1 – Source
Video: SMART Re-Visited Part 2 – Source
Links:
SMART Visited Part 1
SMART Visited Part 2
SMART Re-Visited Part 1
SMART Re-Visited Part 2
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I've been using the tunnel for a couple of days now and this is what i have to say. Motorists frequently break the speed limits and weaving in and out of traffic is something all too common.
The opposing tunnel going out of KL to Seremban Highway/Sunway/Misc has a horrible layout. What seems to be 3 lanes after the toll booths consequently shrinks down to one tiny lane bottlenecking intense after-work traffic.
If you had used the Smart tunnel and paid the charges (est Rm3 or Rm4), the car you had passed earlier using the free overpass way will most likely glide pass you without having paid anything at all.
Going into KL at those congested times in the morning like 7-8 in the morning should be alot easier with this Smart Tunnel but exiting KL is another affair all together.
havent tried using the tunnel but a friend of mine said that there's no emergency lane in case anything happened in it (accident) and when u exit the tunnel, usually there'll be heavy traffic jam at the juctions near Bkt Bintang area.
was told that the condition of the road, made of cement, is HORRIBLE!
Emm… i think they want to cut cost izzit using cement LoL! But i think the smart tunnel can be used on normal day use.. but if heavy rain fall it will close for water draning… So the cement will not a problem during normal days but worst for Slippery during rainy season.. i support this project but it will be expensive when started to collect tolls… Maybe estimated RM3-5..
wahlaueh…
go in toilet =RM0.20
pass thru giant longkang = RM4~5
everythings need to pay in bolehland, i wonder where our tax & roadtax go…. ahhaaa go to somebody pockets… that's absolutely right!!
Driving 110kmh inside a tunnel. What a joke. Malaysian are built for speed for sure. Why control center never take action?
mmmm…
give another two month and it will going to be cracked.. then.. another VO to be created… muahhahaha
ok la yesterday i guna this road… hahahaa.. i think this tunnel also sure jem la. Yesterday pun hampir-hampir jem inside tunnel coz only 2 lane especially at susur keluar Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan sultan ismail.
Go thank those Ijok ppl for "keeping the democracy alive in this country" and "have confidence in Barang Naik gahmen".
A story told my by fren:
When UEM wants to add the 3rd lane for the PLUS highway (which was scheduled to finish AUGUST LAST YEAR), they went to the old contractor to get the technical data on the road. Just as they were abt to start work, with all the equipment to add the 3rd lane abt to start, they were surprised to see the actual road is totally different than the spec written in the technical data book!! They were actually about half the thickness of what was mentioned in the book, so it was kinda complicated for them to handle them n caused the delay to finish the construction until today!! Where's the $$ for the material go to? The old contractor edi……(fill in the blanks)
Terima kasih Semi Value!! Teruskan jadi Menteri terbaik di dunia!! Moga-moga anda dapat Nobel Prize!! Kami akan sentiasa undi Barang Naik!![/sarcasm]
If flash flood those inside get trapped?
been using the SMART to work and back since the day one and this is what I observed. You'll be stuck in the tunnel at about 500 metres or more before you exit to Jalan Tun Razak reasons are typical malaysians drivers will purposely drive on the wrong lane and cutting into the queue before the divider seperating Jalan Sultan Ismail and Tun Razak and also the three lanes underpass at Jalan Tun Razak is will be jammed every morning thus the traffic backlog into the tunnel.
Exiting KL heading towards Seremban after-work will be a waste of money for those who use SMART, you'll be stuck in the jam way before the toll plazas (like what cbljkkj mentioned in his post) however, those heading to PJ will have a very smooth drive without even have to touch the brake pedal after the toll plazas. (of course until you reaches Federal Highway)
If it's RM4 x 2 ways x 22 working days = RM176 (that's more than using penang bridge on daily basis)
If fire happen in tunnel…let say a car caught in fire when medium traffic…everyone will die…all other car also 'engine mati', no oxygen. Happen somewhere in MontBlanc, about 30 peoples killed just bcoz a lorry containing margarine product caught in fire (NatGeo channel: Seconds From Disaster). Any 'Plan B' for our smart tunnel other than water sprinkle, bomba and fire extinguisher?
maybe they have sorted their design to be safer than the mont blanc………………..hehehe JC have been cruising wit the veyron in it…..
it shows that the SMART tunnel is not so smart at all, huh…
hopefully i wont be in the tunnel if anything happen in there…
i'd rather drive outside the tunnel and got stuck in the traffic jam..
smart tunnel is very2 long….even longer than montblanc tunnel….im not sure i can run that far to escape
Paul did u see any emergency exit?…..i mean an emergency door for human to go to the ground/safe place
wahlaueh…
emergency exits… Menteri SEMI VALUE said " eemmm may be plan for next construction update in the tunnel to build emergency exits only, ha.. another 10billion will do, just raise up the fee to cover up. Malaysians sure will pay…"
how bout cell phone reception in the tunnel?
SamiVellu did say that they will built many tunnel in future…does he means the emergency exit…I think he just realize about the exit 'ayoo ada satu tunnel lg trtinggal'
if you watch and listen to the video, they tell you theres an emergency exit every 200meter along the tunnel for human to escape to the ground.
i tried my maxis phone, it will get 1-2 bar reception only. radio will work but selected station only, you can see the small station frequency signboard when you entering the tunnel, what a waste!
I just tried the tunnel just now, this is what i think
1. Well if you notice the speed limit is 60kmh and if motorist were to follow that then its a hell of a jam as I experienced it just now where those idiots just hog the road.
2. Road is damn bumpy and not very comfortable.
3. No proper road signs until last minute signage(as usual)
This is what we call it as no proper planning, maybe later 10 yrs down the road they decide to widen it….whoaaa..thumbs up for bolehland!
why call it SMART?is that because being build by smart people like semi value?
Use of cement is because gahmen are trying to save the cement company gone bankrupt, that is true story.
I used it on the second day since the opening. One issue I foresee to come is that the roads layout have been changed at the exit/entry impacting non-tunnel users. The traffic will be even worst than before!
Fair to those who are NOT WILLING to pay for the expensive tool? I've even heard that there wasn't supposed to be any charges because it's taxpayer money to build a water irrigation system to prevent flood in KL!
Now it's ridiculous that taxpayer needs to pay for anything that is supposed to be built as a fundamental by using taxpayers money to run the country. Weird…
The tunnel built to solve flood problem….same like they built 'pmbentungan' system. Izit necessary to charge rakyat bcoz solve the flood problem. We pay alot of road tax and NAP tax already and whatever tax oledi.
i will call it SMART tunnel if it can solve tol problem…i mean free of charge.
Very bumpy surface once you enter the tunnel till the end.I assume "most" of us will enter the tunnel at low speed but once you gain confidence on the long tunnel,you'll tend to drive faster(ppl overtake me even i'm at 80kph).There're alot of emergency exit and tel around and celcom reception will give you around 2 bar,not sure the yellow man able to follow you inside the tunnel or not.
Still can't escape the traffic jam if you were heading to seremban/KLIA,you'll get stuck once you're out of tunnel(heading south) along the kuchai lama interchange.Hopefully this project won't inccur addditional cost(e.g MRR2 and the many Gov buildings).
the reason for the cement and bumpy ride is to slow people down so they won't be speeding. Common man, it's just a 4km tunnel, why do u need to drive so fast. 60km/h is still much better than a jam that moves at 5-10km/h don't you think so?
when everyone start getting afford to $4 then it would be no different between toll free road and pay toll road.
Buillding more new road connecting to KL central will make the traffic congestion even worse.
Malaysia always have a bottlenect road design, for example form 3 lane becoming 1, that is the main reason we always have stuck in the traffic jam.
volvolover said,
"the reason for the cement and bumpy ride is to slow people down so they won’t be speeding. Common man, it’s just a 4km tunnel, why do u need to drive so fast. 60km/h is still much better than a jam that moves at 5-10km/h don’t you think so?"
———
The actual reason for smart to be cement surface instead of normal bituminous road is on technical basis. The material characteristic of bituminious is if soak under water for a long period (if at the time of to let water flow) then it will be easily damage (i.e. cause "crocodile" crack) atnd peal off. Tar road always must be free from "excessive" amount of water in order to achieve optimum performance.
It is normal for speed at tunnel to peg at 60Km/h all over the world for safety reason. So, abide by the speed rule for your own and other motorist safety!
i'm not in msia at the moment, so thanks for the videos
well, i never use the tunnel, but for the safety system, it's relevent put speed limite 60Km/h in that tunnel. The tunnel is not big and there is wall everywhere, why should we drive so fast in the tunnel??? It's too dangerous.
For the tunnel tol…no comment.
we make it simple, if you want use the tunnel, just use it. If don't want to use it, find another lane.
Its a three tier tunnel. During floods the lower most is used to drain excess water and not the ones used by motorist! I watched a documentory on Discovery Channel about the construction of the SMART tunnel not so long ago. Its regarded an an Extreme Engineering and I totally agree.
There is also an emergency lane and this tunnel is propoerly ventilated. In an event of a fire, proper evactuation exits are available at every 200m apart.
I try to give it a shot last week. Enter the tunnel during rush hour 6.30~7pm. Below is my comment:
– I think i'm a claustrophobic. I enter the tunnel as per stipulated speed limit, but naughty thought kept coming to my mind, suffocation, tremors, quakes, cracks. I also imagined if a car got stranded in the middle, it will create a catastrophic congestion. In the end, i end up speeding up to 180 km/h in order to get out quick from the tunnel ( feels like u r in the game " Need For Speed / GranTurismo )
– the road surface is of cement , so the bumpy ride is expected.
– quite hot inside
– too many road hoggers
– ineffective signage
In summary, the tunnel primary function is to disperse the flood water of KL. The Smart tunnel highway is just an additional features comes with the tunnel.
As for me, i dont think i will ever use the tunnel again due to the above reasons. Furthermore it will be more costly in months to come due to the toll charges and the time saved will not be that significant. Malaysia Boleh….!!!!
hmm………..bumpy ride and not smooth, concrete road.
I have not used the SMART tunnel however, I've been using kg. Pandan round-about and jalan Tun Razak to commute to my office everyday. So far after the opening of the tunnel, the traffic in front of RHB bank (from Seremban to KL) is getting worse and sometimes it gets bumper to bumper until you reach Tabung Haji.