PJD Link Project Officially Scraped - Failed Social Impact Assessment

The Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) project has been formally scraped. According to the Selangor Menteri Besar, Amirudin Shari the PJD Link had previously gained conditional clearance, but the project would face the same fate as the Kinrara-Damansara Motorway (Kidex), which was cancelled in 2015 owing to failing to meet certain conditions.

The decision to stop the PJD Link project, according to FMT, was based on the conclusions of a social impact assessment report, which found that the project did not match the state's previously defined standards, resulting in the Selangor government terminating highway construction.

The proposed PJD Link has a 34.3-kilometer dual-carriageway with four lanes and eight interchanges/ramps. The link was to provide an alternative route to the congested Lebuhraya-Damansara Puchong (LDP), connecting a number of fast-growing suburbs ranging from Bandar Utama to Bukit Jalil.

Amirudin further added that the PJD Link project had gained preliminary governmental approval in November 2017. However, the proposal was later subjected to more scrutiny, including a residential survey in Petaling Jaya, before gaining conditional clearance on November 12, 2021.

The project was cancelled after an impartial poll revealed that a vast majority of communities along the intended route were against the project. They further highlighted concerns about unbearable noise and air pollution, and questioned the project's potential viability to relieve traffic congestion as promised.

Artist impression from "Say No To PJD Link" Facebook Page

A local residents' group called "Say No to PJD Link" filed a lawsuit against various government entities, seeking transparency in the conditional approval process, as they claimed a lack of access to classified documents.