Kuala Lumpur residents will have to brace themselves for horrific traffic conditions when the construction of the city's Mass Rail Transport (MRT) project starts this June. The duration of the ordeal is however unclear, as the environmental assessment report released on Monday by the project's consultant ERE Consulting Group does not state the project's time frame.
According to the report, the roads affected include Persiaran Surian (with a capacity of 5,300 cars per hour), the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP, 8,400 cars per hour) and Sprint Highway and Jalan Semantan (that peak at 12,6000 cars per hour). “Traffic congestion is expected to be significant at the Bukit Bintang and Cochrane stations (of the proposed Sungai Buloh-Kajang line) due to movement of construction vehicles… and its surrounding land use.
“Several schools (SM Jalan Cochrane, SRK and SMK Convent Jalan Peel) are located within the locality of the Cochrane station,” read the report.It adds that elevated works along Jalan Damansara (near Taman Tun Dr Ismail) is expected to cause congestion, as would reduction from four lanes to two lanes in Jalan Cheras (near Taman Mesra) and Jalan Semenyih. “It is essential not to reduce the capacity of (the Jalan Semenyih/Jalan Besar junction) as all major arterials of Kajang town intersect at this junction,” it said.
According to the report, the roads affected include Persiaran Surian (with a capacity of 5,300 cars per hour), the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP, 8,400 cars per hour) and Sprint Highway and Jalan Semantan (that peak at 12,6000 cars per hour). “Traffic congestion is expected to be significant at the Bukit Bintang and Cochrane stations (of the proposed Sungai Buloh-Kajang line) due to movement of construction vehicles… and its surrounding land use.
“Several schools (SM Jalan Cochrane, SRK and SMK Convent Jalan Peel) are located within the locality of the Cochrane station,” read the report.It adds that elevated works along Jalan Damansara (near Taman Tun Dr Ismail) is expected to cause congestion, as would reduction from four lanes to two lanes in Jalan Cheras (near Taman Mesra) and Jalan Semenyih. “It is essential not to reduce the capacity of (the Jalan Semenyih/Jalan Besar junction) as all major arterials of Kajang town intersect at this junction,” it said.
Relocation and safety concerns
Noise and dust
Noise and dust will also plague residents of Sierra Damansara, Bangsar Puteri, Perumahan Sri Sabah and Pinggiran Zaaba in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, among others. These residents will also face some level of noise and vibration when the MRT eventually begins operation, particularly at railway bends, that the report said could be reduced using noise barriers.
Despite the foreseen problems, ERE Consulting found that more than 85 percent of the 675 affected residents surveyed support the project. The detailed environmental assessment impact report has been uploaded for public viewing at the Department of Environment's website.
Besides traffic issues, the project will entail relocating residents on a total of 473 lots (97 hectares) of land to make way for the construction.This includes the residents of Kampung Sungai Balak, Kajang who are being forced from their homes for the third time. Other “critical areas” include Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Taman Suntex, Kampung Batu 10 and Kampung Sekamat. Kampung Sekamat, Kampung Sungai Balak and Kampung Batu 10 are categorised as Malay Reserve Land.
Site clearing and earthworks also raise concerns of erosion risks and the sedimentation of Sungai Buloh and Taman Koperasi, and improper drainage during construction could lead to flooding at Jalan Semantan and Jalan Cochrane. “Underground works pose safety concerns to the public and workers directly involved in the construction…(at) SRJK ©) Nam Kheung in Maluri.
“The underground works could potentially lower the groundwater table and cause settlement, collapse and sinkholes,” the report read.
No comments:
Post a Comment