MRR2 reopens to light traffic
Light vehicles can now use the Kepong stretch of the Middle Ring Road II (MRR2), closed in March for repairs to structural defects.
Two lanes opened on both sides at 2pm yesterday but the third – the fast lane – would remain close for structural reinforcement works.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who visited the site yesterday, said these lanes, however, would be closed every weekend from 10pm on Saturday to 6am on Sunday.
He said the Public Works Department was also repairing a stretch on the MRR2 between the bus stop near the Manjalara junction and the access road to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia near Taman Indah Perdana.
Samy Vellu said repair works on the MRR2 was 70% complete and “progressing smoothly without any delay.”
“Preliminary pier crosshead reinforcement work on all the pillars has been completed. This is to allow light vehicles (below 2.1m in height) to ply the MRR2,” he said.
“Further structural reinforcement work is being done on all pier crossheads and is expected to be completed by the end of November.”
Samy Vellu assured motorists that the MRR2 was now safe and “above the international standard safety benchmark.”
On the RM52.85mil interchange linking the new Sungai Buloh Hospital to the North-South Expressway, he said he expected it to be opened to traffic from Aug 14.
Samy Vellu also said repairs to the Sierra Mas bridge in Sungai Buloh, damaged by floods recently, were set to be completed by the end of this month, and the bridge would be opened on Sept 1.
He also said the Government has approved RM110mil for the repair and upgrading of more than 300 bridges nationwide.
“Some bridges need major repairs while some minor ones.”
Two lanes opened on both sides at 2pm yesterday but the third – the fast lane – would remain close for structural reinforcement works.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who visited the site yesterday, said these lanes, however, would be closed every weekend from 10pm on Saturday to 6am on Sunday.
He said the Public Works Department was also repairing a stretch on the MRR2 between the bus stop near the Manjalara junction and the access road to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia near Taman Indah Perdana.
Samy Vellu said repair works on the MRR2 was 70% complete and “progressing smoothly without any delay.”
“Preliminary pier crosshead reinforcement work on all the pillars has been completed. This is to allow light vehicles (below 2.1m in height) to ply the MRR2,” he said.
“Further structural reinforcement work is being done on all pier crossheads and is expected to be completed by the end of November.”
Samy Vellu assured motorists that the MRR2 was now safe and “above the international standard safety benchmark.”
On the RM52.85mil interchange linking the new Sungai Buloh Hospital to the North-South Expressway, he said he expected it to be opened to traffic from Aug 14.
Samy Vellu also said repairs to the Sierra Mas bridge in Sungai Buloh, damaged by floods recently, were set to be completed by the end of this month, and the bridge would be opened on Sept 1.
He also said the Government has approved RM110mil for the repair and upgrading of more than 300 bridges nationwide.
“Some bridges need major repairs while some minor ones.”
NST Report: MRR2 reopens and it's 'safer than ever'
Samy Vellu said the cost of repairs was still being calculated although earlier estimates had pegged it at RM40 million. Contractor Bumihighway, which built the initial stretch, is paying for the repairs.
Structural reinforcement is being done on all pier crossheads and is expected to be completed by the end of November.
The MRR2 was closed for the first time for three months from Aug 8, 2004, and reopened in November last year.
The decision to close the stretch for a second time came after cracks were discovered and a study by independent consultant, Halcrow Group Limited of Britain, found cracks on 31 of the 33 pillars of the flyover.
The company said a design flaw and improper anchorage of the crossbeams on the concrete columns were to blame.
Repairs to the 1.7km stretch included water-proofing and installing metal braces as recommended by Halcrow.
Structural reinforcement is being done on all pier crossheads and is expected to be completed by the end of November.
The MRR2 was closed for the first time for three months from Aug 8, 2004, and reopened in November last year.
The decision to close the stretch for a second time came after cracks were discovered and a study by independent consultant, Halcrow Group Limited of Britain, found cracks on 31 of the 33 pillars of the flyover.
The company said a design flaw and improper anchorage of the crossbeams on the concrete columns were to blame.
Repairs to the 1.7km stretch included water-proofing and installing metal braces as recommended by Halcrow.
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