WCE project to ease NSE congestion, boost local economy - Loke

TANGKAK: The West Coast Expressway (WCE) from Banting, Selangor, to Gelang Patah, Johor, will serve as an alternative route to alleviate the traffic congestion frequently faced by motorists on the North-South Expressway (NSE).

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that apart from reducing traffic congestion, the project, which is in the planning stages, will positively impact development in areas along the route, thereby contributing to the local economy.

“It will be an alternative to the NSE because we know that the expressway, especially from Johor Bahru to the north or Kuala Lumpur, is always congested on weekends and sometimes unable to accommodate the volume of vehicles.

“When this new alignment is built, it will also act as a catalyst for new development in the adjacent coastal areas,“ he told reporters after attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the Multi-Purpose Building at Pei Hwa Independent High School here today.

Also present were Johor Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Khairin-Nisa Ismail@Md On and the school principal Ang Chee Boon.

Loke said the areas expected to benefit from the economic spillover of the project include Klang, Port Dickson, Melaka, Muar and Batu Pahat.

He said the highway project will also contribute to the development of the country’s logistics sector, particularly by connecting two major ports: Port Klang, Selangor and Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), Johor.

“Of course, PTP will benefit economically when there is a new highway; in fact, it will support the use of rail for port activities.

“The route, however, needs to be integrated with various modes of transport. Indeed, we have a big development plan for the future,“ he said.

At the tabling of Budget 2025 on Oct 18, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the WCE Banting-Gelang Patah Expressway Project, which adopts the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach, will be given priority next year.

In addition to WCE, other projects that will adopt the PPP approach are the construction of Hospital Sultanah Aminah 2 in Johor and the Juru and Sungai Dua Elevated Expressway in Penang.

Currently, the NSE is the only highway that connects Johor to the Klang Valley for land transport modes such as lorries, buses, cars and motorbikes. The NSE, managed by Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (PLUS), was opened in 1994.