RM3b Juru–Sungai Dua Link Cuts Travel Time To Just 20 Minutes

A RM3 billion traffic dispersal project between the Juru and Sungai Dua toll plazas on the North-South Expressway is set to drastically ease congestion and cut peak-hour travel time from about an hour to just 20 minutes.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the 17.3 KM project will allow roughly 30% of motorists to use a new direct Juru–Sungai Dua link, improving safety, comfort and efficiency for more than 200,000 daily users. 

The project, spanning South, Central and North Seberang Perai, will be funded through a hybrid model, 60% by the government and 40% by the highway concessionaire with completion targeted for mid-2030.

Nanta said a detailed traffic management plan will be in place during the four-year construction period to minimise disruption. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in Seberang Jaya, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, he added that the initiative reflects the government’s Madani agenda to improve connectivity and ease daily travel.

He explained that congestion along the stretch stems from several issues, including traffic merging conflicts near the Perai Interchange, bridge-bound traffic from Juru, overlapping local and expressway traffic in Seberang Jaya, heavy vehicle movement around Juru Autocity, and bottlenecks at the East-West Interchange.

To resolve these, the project will build a direct route between the two toll plazas, upgrade the Juru North (Autocity) Interchange with an overpass U-turn, add a new slip road from Perai to Juru, improve the East-West Interchange to shorten signal wait times, and construct an elevated slip road along Jalan Tun Hussein Onn.

PLUS Malaysia Berhad will serve as the main implementing entity under a build-operate-transfer model, helping to accelerate delivery and reduce the government’s financial burden. Nanta said modern technologies including building information modelling and artificial intelligence, will be used to ensure efficient project management and international standards.

The Works Ministry described the project as a high-impact initiative aimed at tackling long-standing congestion and supporting economic growth in the northern region. Persistent traffic between Juru and Sungai Dua has long disrupted travel and affected local business activity in areas such as Permatang Pauh, Bukit Mertajam and Perai.

Presented to the Cabinet in Dec 2024, the project is also expected to strengthen the region’s logistics network and spur development in Seberang Perai, Kepala Batas and northern Penang, creating jobs and generating economic opportunities for local communities.

Source: The Edge