Measures in place to ease congestion on LDP

One of the never-ending problems of Puchong residents is the traffic jam on the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP).
Many residents have to go through the daily task of braving the congestion during rush hours.
Highway concessionaire Litrak believes the highway has boosted development because 66 new projects have sprouted since its opening in January 1999.
The contra-flow system was introduced to mitigate the evening gridlock on the LDP, after the Sunway toll.

These residential, business and industrial projects, in turn, contributed to a huge volume of traffic on the highway.
In a bid to resolve the gridlock in Puchong, Litrak introduced the contra flow system in March.
Motorists heading towards Putrajaya from the Sunway toll are allowed to use 2.7km of an opposite lane, thus taking some load off the south-bound traffic.
Initially, the scheme, which was in place from 4.30pm to 8.30pm on Mondays to Fridays, did not go down too well with the residents. Some felt that it had worsened the congestion due to confusion and the closure of the elevated U-turn near the IOI Mall in Bandar Puchong Jaya.
There were also some residents who applauded the brave move, as they could enjoy a smoother ride home.
Generally, as the highway users got accustomed to the changes, improvements could be observed at the Sunway toll. It took a shorter time to get past the toll booth now.
Judging by the success of the system in alleviating congestion, Litrak has decided to make the contra flow permanent.
It was announced by Litrak CEO Sazally Saidi in October that the two-way bridge at the Puchong Jaya Interchange would only be opened for south-bound traffic.
In return, a new 490m bridge would be built for the north-bound traffic. Work would start in January and be completed by February 2013.
“With the current three lanes at the south-bound mainline increased to five, motorists who want to bypass Puchong will be segregated from those getting into Puchong areas,” Sazally said.
The plan, which was part of the LDP Congestion Mitigation Plan 2009-2012, would cost about RM74mil.
This year, Litrak has also carried out widening work between the Puchong Perdana Interchange and Kampung Baru Interchange to improve traffic flow.
An additional lane has been added in both directions and the junction of Puchong Perdana and LDP has been upgraded, too.
A 700m ramp from the Puchong Intan Interchange to Puchong Perdana Interchange is still under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
With these plans in place, Puchong residents can keep their fingers crossed for better traffic flow. But first, they have to be patient and endure the inconveniences caused by the construction of the said facilities.

source: TheStar