In a bid to mitigate and evaluate rush hour traffic flow between the Setia Alam exit towards the Shah Alam toll plaza on the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), PLUS plans to initiate a manual pilot SmartLane initiative beginning 23 October 2019.
Following a period of observation and evaluation, PLUS plans to implement the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and establish an electronic SmartLane that’s similar to the ones presently applied in the United Kingdom and Holland. The goal is to optimise the use of the left-most lane to enhance traffic flow during rush hour.
The SmartLane will cover the NKVE stretch between KM3.2 and KM9.2 (Northbound) from 6.30am to 9.30am, Mondays to Fridays.
During this period, the left-most lane will be opened and used as a temporary additional lane to increase lane capacity. Police and PLUSRonda officers will be deployed on site for the manual stage, directional signages will be installed, additional tow trucks will be assigned and an emergency bay at KM5.6 prepared.
According to PLUS, approximately 302,000 vehicles ply the NKVE daily with 22 per cent of them entering the highway simultaneously during the morning rush hour. The SmartLane is expected to reduce the Setia Alam-Shah Alam peak hour crawl between 30-40 per cent; barring any accidents or breakdowns.
The SmartLane initiative will be carried out in two phases, whereby Phase One will operate manually via road signs placed at the designated stretch. Phase Two will operate on full-fledged ITS technology to enable PLUS to manage traffic enforcement and traffic distribution more efficiently. This phase is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2020.
Plans to expand the SmartLane initiative at other locations along the PLUS highway in the future are in the works.