Deepavali balik kampung rush: congestion hits key stretches of North-South Expressway

 

PETALING JAYA: Traffic congestion built up along several stretches of the North-South Expressway (NSE) as motorists began leaving for their hometowns ahead of Deepavali celebrations.

The increase in traffic was particularly noticeable on Friday (Nov 6), with vehicles heading north and south experiencing slower movement along several sections of the highway.

For northbound traffic, congestion was reported along stretches from Damansara and Kota Damansara towards Sungai Buloh, as well as between Sungai Buloh and the Rawang Toll Plaza.

Further north, motorists also faced slower traffic along the uphill stretch approaching the Menora Tunnel in Perak.

Meanwhile, southbound motorists experienced congestion along the Bangi-Nilai-Seremban stretch as more vehicles headed towards southern destinations.

Earlier, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) also reported congestion at several locations on the NSE, including a four-kilometre stretch between Sungkai and Slim River and a one-kilometre stretch at the Menora Tunnel heading towards Kuala Kangsar following accidents.

Traffic was also reported to be congested at Juru heading towards Perai, while southbound motorists experienced slower movement at Sedenak heading towards Kulai.

The traffic buildup comes as PLUS Malaysia Bhd anticipates up to 2.24 million vehicles daily across its highway network during peak travel days in conjunction with Deepavali and the school holidays from Nov 7 to 10.

To manage the anticipated increase in traffic, PLUS has activated Smart Lanes at 32 selected locations along its highway network.

The temporary activation allows designated emergency lanes to be used as additional traffic lanes, subject to prevailing traffic conditions, to improve traffic flow and ease congestion.

PLUS has also advised motorists to plan their journeys using its MyPLUS Travel Time Advisory (MyPLUS-TTA), available through the PLUS app, which provides recommended travel times for journeys to and from the Klang Valley between Nov 5 and 10.

Motorists have also been encouraged to monitor traffic updates through PLUS’ official X account @plustrafik and the LLM’s @llminfotrafik account before and during their journeys.

They are reminded to use Smart Lanes only when activated, observe speed limits and maintain safe distances from other vehicles.

Motorists can also contact PLUSLine at 1-800-88-0000 for highway assistance. - Star