WCE (West Coast Expressway)

• West Coast Expressway (WCE) Section 11 Taiping to Beruas opens on March 12 – free toll until May 11

  In Local News / By Anthony Lim / 11 March 2024 12:55 pm / 5 comments

  

  Another section of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) is now ready, with the Taiping Selatan (South) to Beruas elevated interchanges in Section 11 being officially opened earlier today by works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

  During the launch ceremony, Nanta announced that Section 11 users will enjoy free toll from tomorrow (March 12) to May 11. Also present at the opening of the route, which took place at the Taiping Selatan elevated interchange, was Perak MB Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.

  The launch of Section 11 follows on that promised in January, when it was stated that the section – which was originally supposed to be completed by end-2023 – would be ready to handle traffic for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

  

  

  

  However, those interested in trying out the 35.5 km-long stretch, which connects Changkat Jering to Beruas, Perak, will have to wait until midnight, because the section will only open to users from 12:01 am on March 12.

  According to the WCE, the new section is expected to reduce travel time between the two locations to just 20 minutes, compared to the 55 minutes needed via the existing route.

  The concessionaire said that the new route, of which its Taiping South interchange is strategically connected to the North-South Expressway (NSE) via the latter’s Changkat Jering interchange, would benefit users traveling from southern Perak to Selangor not just in terms of reduced travel time but also on fuel costs.

  

  It will also provide users with easier access to attractive tourist destinations in the state, such as Taiping zoo, Taiping Lake Gardens, Matang mangrove forest reserve, Perak museum, Remis beach and  Pangkor island.

  Along the route, there are six motorcycle shelters (in both north and southbound) and two R&Rs (Sungai Nyiur, both north and southbound). The Section 11 stretch also has two wildlife crossing tunnels providing land bridges for animals to cross the Bubu forest reserve.

  The opening of Section 11 means that six of the 11 sections of the WCE have now been opened to traffic. The other stretches are Section 5 (Klang-Kapar) and Section 6 (Kapar-Assam Java) in Selangor and Section 8 (Hutan Melintang-Teluk Intan), Section 9 (Kg Lekir-Changkat Cermin) and Section 10 (Changkat Mirror-Beruas) in Perak, and these serve around 70,000 vehicles on a daily basis.

  

  

  

  According to WCE CEO Lyndon Alfred Felix, another two sections of the E32 are set to be opened later this year, these being Section 1 (Banting to SKVE) and Section 2 (SKVE to Shah Alam Expressway) in Selangor. Both are expected to be operational sometime in the second quarter. He added that the total construction of the WCE – which is slated to be fully finished by the end of 2025 – now stands at 93% completed.

  When it is fully completed, the 314.5 km-long WCE will connect Changkat Jering in Perak to Banting in Selangor. As an alternative to the NSE, the new expressway is expected to help reduce traffic congestion, especially during peak hours, festive seasons, and school holidays.

  Aside from providing connectivity to loactions such as Sitiawan, Teluk Intan, Sabak Bernam, Tanjong Karang, Kuala Selangor and Klang, among others, the WCE is also set to become a primary route for logistics activities directly related to ports in Lumut, Teluk Intan and Klang.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

   

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• West Coast Expressway (WCE) Section 11 Beruas to Taiping won’t make it for CNY, will open before Raya

  In Local News / By Danny Tan / 18 January 2024 12:40 pm / 9 comments

  

  The West Coast Expressway’s (WCE) Section 11 from Beruas to Taiping (South) will not open in time for Chinese New Year next month, but the stretch will welcome traffic for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, which is in Q1 2024.

  According to Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) deputy director-general (development) Nadzrol Fadzilah Ahmad, LLM needs to ensure that the 35.5 km stretch in Perak is safe before opening it.

  “We have our target and we know that people are eager to use this section to avoid traffic congestion. However, the safety factor is our priority. We can’t open this section before Chinese New Year but I am confident this section can be used before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which is the first quarter of this year,” she said, reported by NST.

  

  

  Click to enlarge map

  Section 11 was supposed to be completed by end-2023, and when asked about the reason for the delay, WCE CEO Lyndon Alfred Felix said that construction progress reached 98% by December 31. “We are now entering inspection level from LLM and this section construction has reached 98 per cent completed. We need to go through this phase (inspection) before this section can be opened to all road users,” he said.

  To date, five of 11 sections of WCE have been opened to traffic. They are Section 5 (Klang-Kapar) and Section 6 (Kapar-Assam Java) in Selangor; and Section 8 (Hutan Melintang-Teluk Intan), Section 9 (Kg Lekir-Changkat Cermin) and Section 10 (Changkat Mirror-Beruas) in Perak. Expect a one-month toll-free period for Section 11 when it finally opens.

   

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• West Coast Expressway (WCE) toll collection at Assam Jawa starts today after 42-day free trial – from RM4.12

  In Local News / By Danny Tan / 3 January 2024 9:47 am / 7 comments

  

  

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  Toll collection on the West Coast Expressway (WCE) Assam Jawa toll plaza starts today, January 3, after a 42-day free trial period. For Class 1 vehicles, the rate is RM4.12 from Bandar Bukit Raja Utara and RM5.05 if you came from Bandar Bukit Raja Selatan. Electronic payment only – no cash.

  This is in Section 6 of the WCE – the latest section to open spans 21.8 km and directly connects motorists from Kapar to Assam Jawa (Ijok), with the journey taking only 15 minutes compared to 45 minutes via the old trunk road.

  The route also reduces travel time between Klang, Shah Alam, Puncak Alam and Kuala Selangor. Section 6 also has a direct connection to the Kuala Lumpur–Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar).

  The first four sections of the WCE were opened in 2019, with three sections in Perak, namely Section 8 (Hutan Melintang–Teluk Intan), Section 9 (Lekir–Changkat Chermin) and Section 10 (Changkat Chermin–Beruas). Meanwhile, Section 5 (Bandar Bukit Raja Selatan to Bandar Bukit Raja Utara) is in Selangor.

   

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• West Coast Expressway – free toll for Section 6 until Jan 2, 2024; Bandar Bukit Raja Utara to Assam Jawa

  In Local News / By Gerard Lye / 21 November 2023 9:31 am / 8 comments

  

  Users of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) will enjoy free toll from today (November 21, 2023) until January 2, 2024. This was revealed by works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who recently launched Section 6 of the WCE from the Bandar Bukit Raja Utara to Assam Jawa elevated interchanges.

  The toll exemption will be provided to those entering Section 6 from the Bandar Bukit Raja Utara plaza toll to Assam Jawa plaza toll or vice-versa. “For users entering the WCE from Section 5 (from Bandar Bukit Raja Selatan toll plaza to Assam Jawa toll plaza or vice versa, the existing toll rates for Section 5 according to the respective vehicle classes will be charged as usual,” said Nanta, as reported by NST.

  Section 6 of the WCE spans 21.8 km and directly connects motorists from Kapar to Assam Jawa (Ijok), with the journey only taking 15 minutes compared to 45 minutes via the existing route. The route features two two-way lanes and can also reduce travel times between Klang, Shah Alam, Puncak Alam and Kuala Selangor.

  

  

  For better connectivity, Section 6 will also have a direct connection to the Kuala Lumpur–Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR). There are also two lanes on the FT5 federal road that directly merge with the WCE. “These two toll-free lanes, spanning 50 km from Tanjung Karang to Sabak Bernam and 32.8 km from Teluk Intan to Lekir, have been upgraded by the public works department (JKR) to ensure smooth and comfortable transitions for users,” said Nanta.

  The first four sections of the WCE were opened in 2019, with three sections in the state of Perak, namely Section 8 (Hutan Melintang–Teluk Intan), Section 9 (Lekir–Changkat Chermin) and Section 10 (Changkat Chermin–Beruas). Meanwhile, Section 5 (Bandar Bukit Raja Selatan-Bandar Bukit Raja Utara) is in Selangor.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

   

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• Section 6 of West Coast Expressway to spur economy on West Coast of Selangor – public works ministry

  In Local News / By Mick Chan / 28 July 2023 6:33 pm / 5 comments

  

  Works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi expects positive impact towards the development of the local economy and communities to result from the completion of Section 6 of the West Coast Expressway (WCE), the works ministry said in a statement.

  Section 6 of the WCE, which spans 21.8 km from the Bandar Bukit Raja (North) interchange to the Assam Jawa interchange (which connects with the end of the Latar Expressway), is expected to be completed at the end of this year.

  The West Coast Expressway is also expected to greatly benefit the tourism industry by attracting more tourists to destinations such as Kuala Selangor, Jeram, Bandar Warisan Batu Arang, the Sky Mirror and the Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park.

  

  

  Benefits of the WCE will also be felt by small and medium enterprises as the expressway offers a smoother transportation connectivity network, where business activities will flourish and thus profit businesses in the area by attracting more visitors, and grow employment opportunities as a result, the ministry said.

  The works minister hopes that the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and WCE will be able to complete construction on schedule and take the necessary steps to handle any issues that may arise in order to this important infrastructure facility can be enjoyed by highway users as alternative routes, especially during weekends and festive seasons, the ministry wrote in its statement.

  Earlier this month, WCE Expressway announced that construction of Section 5 of the highway from Beruas to Taiping (South) is expected to be completed by the end of this year. WCE Expressway aims to open four more sections this year, which are the SKVE, Banting, Assam Jawa and Taiping South.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

   

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• West Coast Expressway – Section 11 Beruas-Taiping and four sections to be completed by end 2023

  In Local News / By Gerard Lye / 11 July 2023 9:50 am / 5 comments

  

  Construction of Section 11 of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) from Beruas to Taiping (South) is currently 88% complete and is expected to be completed by the end of this year, Bernama and NST report.

  This is according to WCE Expressway operations manager Syed Muhd Naguib Syed Mohd, who said the construction works in Section 11 currently involves engineering elements such as pavement and slopes as well as elements such as build-up of toll structures.

  “In addition, the 35.5 km route also crosses the Bubu Forest Reserve, and as a step to preserve the environment and ecosystem there, two box culverts were built for wild animals to cross the area,” he added. The WCE connects Selangor and Perak and spans 233 km. Construction is divided into 11 sections, four of which are already open.

  

  

  WCE Expressway is aiming to four more sections this year, namely the SKVE, Banting, Assam Jawa and South Taiping by the end of this year as well. Syed Muhd also noted alignments were also being conducted involving Section 8 from Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan, Section 9 from Lekir to Changkat Chermin and Section 10 from Changkat Chermin to Beruas, which have been opened to road users.

  For the Perak route, WCE Expressway plans to build four rest and service areas (R&R) — Teluk Intan R&R (northbound and southbound), Sungai Wangi R&R (southbound), Ayer Tawar R&R (northbound) and Sg Nyior R&R (northbound and southbound). There will also be two electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities located at Lekir and Teluk Intan.

  By December 2023, Section 1, 2, 6 and 11 will be completed and open by CNY 2024. The entirety of WCE is expected to be completed by 2025 and is estimated to receive 300,000 vehicles. “During the recent Aidilfitri celebrations, traffic volume reached 100,000 vehicles a day and 85,000 for Raya Aidiladha,” said Syed Muhd.

   

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• West Coast Expressway to open four new alignments

  In Local News / By Mick Chan / 26 June 2023 6:34 pm / 21 comments

  

  The West Coast Expressway (WCE) and Federal Route 5 (FR5) with a combined length of 275.8 km are expected to receive at least 300,000 vehicles daily when fully completed, which is expected to be either towards the end of next year or early 2025, Utusan Malaysia reported.

  The opening of the alignments in Bandar Bukit Raja as well as in Hutan Melintang, Lekir and Changkat Chermin in Perak since May 2019 has increased traffic flow by 60% this year, according to the report.

  Four new alignments will be opened this year and these will be Sections 1, 2, 6 and 11 in areas including Banting, the South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Assam Jawa and Taiping (South), according to WCE chief executive Lyndon Alfred Felix.

  The opening of the Section 4 alignment that is the Federal Highway connection that has reached 99% completion will be opened when land acquisition around Jalan Kebun for Section 3 connecting to the Kesas highway in Shah Alam has been completed, he continued.

  

  When these are completed, WCE will focus on the construction of the final, 29.5 km-long Section 7 alignment located in Tanjung Karang that will connect with Jalan Kuala Selangor-Teluk Intan on Federal Route 5, the CEO added.

  For the upcoming Hari Raya Aidiladha that falls on June 29, Thursday, the highway is prepared to receive more than 100,000 vehicles as this volume has been achieved during the past Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, and this in fact has surpassed last year’s figure of 60,000 vehicles, according to Felix.

  Felix adds that the WCE is also well-suited for commercial vehicles, as travelling along the highway would save travel time by around 30 minutes to an hour. From a safety standpoint, the WCE is also safer as it does not pass through hilly and high-risk areas, and is instead mostly level and has fewer turns, making it suitable for heavy vehicles.

  In addition, the WCE is suitable for residents in and around Shah Alam, Klang and Kuala Langat who want to head north without encountering as much traffic from Kuala Lumpur and from the Hulu Selangor, Gombak and Hulu Langat districts, he said.

  

   

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• West Coast Expressway to commence toll collection

  In Local News / By Mick Chan / 16 January 2020 11:51 am / 21 comments

  

  The Malaysian government has authorised West Coast Expressway Holdings for toll collection on the 233 km stretch of highway which connects Banting, Selangor with Taiping, Perak, effective immediately, according to the federal government gazette. The gazette states that toll collection on this highway is authorised for a period of 44 years, from January 15, 2020 until December 19, 2063.

  Built at a cost of RM5.044 billion, the West Coast Expressway has 21 interchanges over its 233 km length, comprised of 11 in Perak and 10 in Selangor. The toll plazas for the WCE are located at Hutan Melintang, Teluk Intan, Kg Lekir, Sitiawan, Sitiawan North, Changkat Chermin and Beruas.

  As of December, the WCE was at a 71% stage of completion with the opening of the stretch between the New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB, or Shapadu Highaway) and the Bandar Bukit Raja (North) elevated intersection.

  

  

  

  

  West Coast Expressway toll rates – click to enlarge

  The West Coast Expressway runs parallel to the PLUS-operated North-South Expressway, and is expected to relieve the NSE of some traffic as well as to provide additional connectivity to towns along the west coast. Construction of the WCE was initially slated for completion at the end of 2019, however delays stemmed from land acquistion proceedings and route alignment plans by the previous government, The Star reported.

  The WCE is also unlikely to be a target of the government’s plan to buy back highways, said West Coast Expressways Holdings CEO Datuk Neoh Soon Hiong. This is given that the government appears to be focusing takeover attention upon completed highways, and there are sufficient clauses in the concession agreement to protect WCE if a situation for a takeover arises, the report noted.

   

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• West Coast Expressway stretch between NNKSB and Bandar Bukit Raja now open – WCE 71% complete

  In Local News / By Danny Tan / 12 December 2019 1:18 pm / 10 comments

  

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  Here’s some good news for those who frequent towns on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Section 5 of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) has now opened, connecting the New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB, or Shapadu Highaway) and the Bandar Bukit Raja (North) elevated intersection.

  The 9.7 km stretch is the first out of seven sections in Selangor, and will make it easy for those traveling to Kapar from Shah Alam, vice versa. The stretch was opened by Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Datuk Mohd Shuhaimi Hassan at the new WCE management office in Bandar Bukit Raja this week.

  Prior to this, the WCE was opened in stages in Perak. Back in May, the the Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan stretch welcomed motorists, followed by the stretch from Kampung Lekir to Beruas in September.

  There are 12 sections of the 233 km coastal highway that will connect Banting in Selangor to Taiping in Perak – five in Perak and seven in Selangor. Eleven of the WCE’s 21 interchanges are in Perak and 10 are in Selangor. The RM5.04 billion project is currently 71% complete.

   

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• West Coast Expressway 35% complete, opens in 2019

  In Local News / By Danny Tan / 6 July 2017 12:21 pm / 23 comments

  

  The West Coast Expressway (WCE), which will connect Banting in Selangor to Taiping in Perak, is now 35% completed and will be open to traffic in 2019, Bernama reports.

  The progress report was given by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) director-general Datuk Ismail Md Salleh, who said that the development of the 233 km highway, of which construction started in 2014, was progressing on schedule. There are 11 phases.

  “Phase 4 of the project, from Federal Route to New North Klang Straits Bypass and phase 8, from Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan are scheduled to be completed and opened in early 2019,” he said, adding that other phases were also expected to be fully completed by 2019, except for phase 7B involving the last 10 km of the Tanjung Karang route and phase 11 involving the Changkat Jering/Taiping connection.

  Ismail revealed that the project cost RM5.04 billion, with RM980 million set aside for land acquisition handled by the concessionaire, West Coast Expressway Sdn Bhd.

  “This project will provide the best alternative route for road users in avoiding congestion particularly during festive seasons,” he said, adding that WCE can potentially spur economic growth in coastal towns.

   

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• West Coast Expressway on track for 2019 completion

  In Cars, Local News / By Anthony Lim / 18 April 2016 10:51 am / 10 comments

  

  Construction of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) project, which will connect Banting in Selangor and Changkat Jering in Perak, is on track for completion in 2019, according to the New Straits Times.

  Perak state public utilities, infrastructure, energy and water committee chairman Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin said that land clearing, construction of bridges and earthworks have been completed for the Hutang Melintang-Teluk Intan and Kampung Lekir-Changkat Chermin stretch thus far.

  “We are also in the process of acquiring land for the Changat Chermin-Taiping section, and are very focused to develop the project as it will help boost development in new areas,” he said, adding that the expressway will also create job opportunities for locals during the construction process.

  “The new expressway will also improve the socio-economic development along the stretch as it will shorten the distance from Southern to Northern parts of Perak. It will also act as the alternative highway and ease the traffic congestion on the North South Expressway (PLUS) during holidays,” he said at a state legislative assembly sitting last week.

  The WCE, which will cost RM5 billion to construct, will run a 233 km route across Selangor and Perak – the E32 will link to a number of existing highways, including PLUS, NKVE, Latar, Kesas and the SKVE. The expressway will have a total of 21 interchanges (10 in Selangor, and 11 in Perak) as well as 20 toll plazas (nine in Selangor, 11 in Perak).

   

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• Banting-Taiping West Coast Expressway 5% complete

  In Local News / By Danny Tan / 27 January 2016 11:52 am / 3 comments

  

  The West Coast Expressway (WCE), a 232 km highway that will span from Banting to Taiping in Perak along Peninsular Malaysia’s west coast, is now 5% complete. The WCE, or Lebuhraya Pantai Barat, was mentioned in Budget 2015 and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2019. The concession period for WCE is 50 years.

  Concession holder Kumpulan Europlus Bhd (KEB) will be calling for tenders for the remaining six packages for the RM6 billion WCE in the next few months, The Sun reports. The six packages are worth RM2.2 billion. Earlier, KEB awarded five packages worth of RM2.8 billion to IJM Construction via a direct award as per the terms of the concession agreement.

  “The progress of these packages comes to 20%,” CEO Datuk Neoh Soon Hiong told reporters at KEB’s EGM yesterday, adding trhat as a whole, the WCE is now 5% complete. Neoh does not foresee an increase in construction costs for the highway despite the weakening ringgit, which has made imported building materials more expensive. “So far until today, it is still within the budget (of RM5 billion purely for construction costs),” he said.

  KEB’s head added that the company is not interested in bidding for upcoming highway projects such as the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH) and Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE), as the WCE will keep it busy for the next few years. There are also no diversification plans.

  “I think the main core is to complete the WCE as per schedule. In the meantime, we’re also looking for other opportunities like acquiring land bank along the WCE corridor,” he said.

  The WCE is expected to greatly reduce travelling time between towns on the west coast, as the current Federal Route 5 gets rather congested during weekends.

   

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