INGENIEUR
ENGINEERING NOSTALGIA
INGENIEUR
ENGINEERING NOSTALGIA
Federal Highway – Upgrading in Stages
By Cheo Hong Keyong
Photo taken on 29.9.1958 showing the Minister for Works, Posts and Telecoms, YB Tun Sardon bin Jubir( with coat and songkok) talking to an engineer on the dual-carriage way construction beginning from Bangsar Road to the Sungei Way traffic roundabout. This road was opened on 14.1.1959 by the Minister of Works, Post and Telecoms.
Source: Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia
Photo taken on 14.4.1978 showing the completion of the second stage of the upgrading work of the Federal Highway viewed from Angkasapuri( Kuala Lumpur) towards Petaling Jaya showing the familiar buildings of Jaya Puri( now the Hilton PJ) and Asia Jaya. The Ministry in charge then was the Ministry of Works and Public Utilities.
Source: Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia
The first stage of upgrading the Federal Highway started in 1956 when the Malaysian Government decided to upgrade the Kuala Lumpur to Klang road to a highway for smoother access to Port Swettenham( Port Klang), the first national port of Malaysia. The construction work undertaken by the Public Works Department( Jabatan Kerja Raya, JKR), started in 1956. Completed on 14.1.1959, the Federal Highway, with a design speed of 60 mph, was the first expressway in Malaysia.
The second stage of upgrading works was carried out as part of the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersal Scheme in 1974 by JKR with a loan from the World Bank. The upgrading work from Kuala Lumpur to the Subang Airport Interchange started in 1974 and was completed in 1977. Most sections of the highway were upgraded to four lanes except for the six-lane segment near Petaling Jaya.
Federal Highway, 2016.
The Federal Highway was upgraded again in 1992 by Projek Lebuhraya Usahasama( PLUS) Bhd into a full six-lane highway with two toll plazas at Batu Tiga and Sungei Rasau.
80 VOL 67 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2016