Say goodbye to traffic jams: West Coast Expressway to ease North-South Expressway congestion, elevate local growth, says transport minister

TANGKAK, Nov 2 — 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 Baru 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.