WCE opens Toll-Free section: A festive gift for motorists, especially those traveling from KL - Penang

KUALA LUMPUR:  The West Coast Expressway (WCE), spanning from Taiping Selatan to Beruas elevated interchanges, will offer toll-free passage until May 11, as announced by Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.

Motorists will benefit from this no-cost travel when entering the expressway via the Taiping Selatan, Trong, and Beruas toll plazas from either direction.

This gesture of goodwill is made possible through the collaboration between West Coast Expressway Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Highway Authority, which have sanctioned a toll-free period for this stretch of the expressway, an initiative that has involved costs around RM422 million.

The opening of this particular section coincides perfectly with the onset of the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, providing a timely travel alternative for many. Following this promotional period, the expressway will adopt a toll rate of 16 sen per km.

The recent launch of Section 11 of the WCE, connecting Beruas to Taiping Selatan, completes the Perak segment of the highway, offering a new route that serves as an alternate to the North-South Expressway (PLUS) for those traveling between Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

This addition is expected to ease the congestion typically experienced on PLUS, especially during peak festive seasons, by facilitating direct travel to Taiping without the need to pass through Ipoh.

For travelers heading from Kuala Lumpur to Taiping or Penang, the WCE can be accessed via the Kuala Selangor route. By exiting the PLUS at Rawang Selatan Toll Plaza and entering the LATAR Expressway towards Jalan Kuala Selangor – Teluk Intan, drivers will find themselves on the WCE at the Hutan Melintang interchange.

From there, it's a straightforward drive north following the WCE signs to the Taiping Selatan Interchange. For those continuing to Penang, the journey proceeds towards the PLUS’ Changkat Jering toll plaza, while signs will guide Taiping-bound travelers to their destination.

The West Coast Expressway (WCE) is a major infrastructure project designed as a 233-kilometer expressway that stretches from Banting in Selangor to Taiping in Perak. This expressway is intended to serve as an alternative route to the existing North-South Expressway (PLUS), aiming to alleviate traffic congestion, particularly along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

By providing a direct link between various towns and cities, the WCE is expected to significantly enhance connectivity and economic development in the regions it traverses.

As for its completion, the WCE project has been undertaken in phases, with some sections already operational, including the one mentioned above.

However, the entire expressway's completion has faced delays due to various challenges, including land acquisition issues and environmental concerns. The full completion of the WCE was projected within the next few years, but no specific completion date was provided, given the nature of large-scale infrastructure projects, completion timelines can be subject to changes.

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