2023 has been a year full of possibilities, at least when tackling traffic congestion. Authorities seem committed to solving this never-ending problem as they have come up with new proposals, such as widening roads and adding contraflow lanes.
Yesterday, PLUS Malaysia Berhad announced the activation of a smartlane along the USJ-Seafield stretch of the ELITE Highway to smoothen traffic flow. More details on the new initiative are below.
Smartlane along USJ-Seafield stretch
The public pilot will start during the morning rush hours from 6.30 am to 9.30 am daily except for public holidays. It began operation today, 1st June 2023 and will be in place until 31st August 2023.
The location involves the USJ-Seafield stretch on the North-South Expressway Central Link Expressway (ELITE) from KM8.1 to KM6.1 northbound.
The smartlane will run for approximately 2km in length from the USJ interchange to the Seafield interchange. For the public pilot, PLUS will utilise the leftmost (emergency lane) lane.
Image credit: PLUS Malaysia
When activated, highway users can temporarily enter and drive on the emergency lane to increase lane capacity. They will then be directed to re-enter the main highway lanes to continue their journey.
Road users are strictly prohibited from using the shoulder/emergency lanes at other locations where no smartlane is activated. They can identify the smartlane through signages and traffic controllers at the respective location or by referring to PLUS’ social media platforms.
Smoother traffic flow
PLUS takes this initiative to optimise the utilisation of all lanes and increase lane capacity to reduce traffic congestion on critical highway stretches.
It is also carried out to help smoothen the traffic flow on the USJ-Seafield stretch of the ELITE. The convergence of traffic and the slight uphill terrain contribute to high traffic volume and slower movement on this particular stretch.
On average, approximately 75,000 vehicles ply the USJ-Seafield stretch on the ELITE highway daily. Of that number, 58% of vehicles use the space simultaneously during peak hours in the morning.
The smartlane expects to reduce travel time on the designated stretch during peak hours if there are no accidents or vehicle breakdowns.
Smartlane on ELITE highway
It is good news that PLUS is working with relevant authorities to tackle traffic congestion. As the smartlane will be in place until August, do take note of the changes and drive carefully.
Remember to comply with all traffic signages and instructions when passing through the designated area. We hope more initiatives like this will be implemented to improve driving conditions on Malaysian highways.
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