ENGINEERING NOSTALGIA
INGENIEUR
Tanjung Malim-Slim River Highway , 1966 – Malaysia ’ s first Toll Road
By Cheo Hong Keyong
The first Malaysian toll road , the Tanjung Malim-Slim River Highway served as an alternative to the old Federal Route 1 which wound through small villages lying between the two towns . It shortened the distance to 23 km from the original 27 km , but what was more important was the smoother and safer flow of traffic .
Construction of the road was completed in March 1966 and opened to traffic with toll collection commencing at 6 am on March 16,1966 . The toll charge for cars was 50 sen , lorries RM1 and motorcycles 20 sen . The old road was downgraded to Federal Road 193 while the new road assumed the Federal Route 1 name .
With the completion of the North – South Expressway in 1994 , the toll plaza was removed and Federal Route 1 became a toll-free highway .
80 VOL 83 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020