Taiping-Banting Highway

Taiping-Banting West Coast Expressway

The West Coast Expressway (WCE) is a new expressway that will be built on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia, connecting Taiping, Perak to Banting, Selangor. The 233km expressway (involving 172 kilometers in Perak) will be the third longest highway after the 966km North-South Expressway and 330km East Coast Highway.

WCE is planned and designed in such a way so that it is well-connected to the existing highways, in order to maximize its coverage and gives the road users more options while travelling. The entire expressway with 21 interchanges (10 in Selangor and 11 in Perak) will provide convenience to users to plan and travel more efficiently. It will have facilities and services such as Rest & Service Area (RSA), Lay-Bays, 24 hours traffic control surveillance system, 24 hours highway patrol service and emergency telephone – to be provide every 2km.

The stretch between Tanjung Karang to Hutan Melintang and Teluk Intan to Kampung Lekir will be on the existing stretch of Federal route meanwhile the stretch between Parit to Siputeh will be on the existing stretch of Federal route which both will be upgraded as part of the expressway. The expressway will have a closed toll system like North-South Expressway.

The Expressway is expected to stimulate growth in areas stretching from Taiping to Banting on the west coast of Perak and Selangor. Beneficiaries include several sectors such as real estate, industrial and tourism, in areas such as Lenggong, Taiping and Pangkor in Perak and Banting and Sepang in Selangor. On a logistics standpoint, this would be favourable for industrial areas located between the two international ports such as Shah Alam and Banting as the WCE will provide easy accessibility thus increasing economic and industrial activity, enabling these areas to thrive. The WCE is expected to accelerate the development of Perak‘s tourism sector, especially in the northern, north-western and western region, covering Lenggong, Taiping and Pangkor with enhanced accessibility to these areas.

– FMM

Highway to Merdeka

THEY say every journey has a story and every story is a journey.

As Malaysia celebrates its 67th National Day, West Coast Expressway takes travellers on an epic road trip along its length and breadth to honour the places and people whose stories are intrinsically linked to the nation’s independence.

The West Coast Expressway (WCE) spans 233km from Banting, Selangor to Taiping, Perak, with 80km of toll-free roads.

However, tucked away between the destinations are pockets of history, each with its own rich, unique tale of Malaysia’s long journey to nationhood. Read more….

In high gear to complete 233km West Coast Expressway

AMIDST all the hoopla surrounding the possible buyout of PLUS Malaysia Bhd, the other long stretching highway in Peninsular Malaysia has been making some notable progress.

While West Coast Expressway Holdings Bhd (WCE) has been perceived as having faced numerous delays and challenges with its land acquisitions, its CEO Datuk Neoh Soon Hiong says the company is in high gear to complete the 233km expressway connecting Banting in Selangor to Taiping in Perak.

“The worst is over for us. The land acquisitions are about 95% completed and we have commenced construction works for Sections 7 and 11 – the last two sections, which is estimated to be completed by 2022, ” Neoh tells StarBizWeek. Read more… 

Link planned from Banting to Taiping

PETALING JAYA: The West Coast Highway project linking Banting to Taiping has been identified as one of the areas for expansion of the North-South Expressway under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Datuk Ismail Md Salleh said the Senawang section has been identified as another stretch for expansion.

“The expansion of the North-South Expressway will be implemented over five years,” he told reporters after the launch of the Touch ’n Go customer service counter at the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) Petronas station here yesterday. Seven highway projects at an estimated cost of RM19bil are among 52 high-impact projects worth RM63bil to be implemented under the 10MP. Other high-impact projects included two coal-powered electricity generation plants and 3,300-acre land development in Sungai Buloh.

Meanwhile, Touch ’n Go users can now reload their cards at no extra charge at the first service counter at the NKVE Petronas station.

The counter, which was opened yesterday, will also sell Touch ’n Go cards and SmartTags as well as offer rebate redemption, card replacement and handling of customer enquiries from 9am to 9pm.

With the launch of the counter, the reload lane at Subang toll plaza will be converted to dedicated Touch ’n Go lane to ease congestion there.

Source: The Star – 23 July, 2010

WCE Interchanges (Proposed Alignment)

West Coast Expressway (Taiping – Banting Highway) will have 11 interchanges in Perak and 10 interchanges in Selangor. The northern end will be connected to North–South Expressway E1 via Changkat Jering Interchange. The southern end will be connected to Banting Interchange on Federal Route 31.

Taiping – Banting Highway

WCE Interchanges in Perak Section

1. Hutang Melintang Interchange – EXIT 3222 Linkage to Federal Route 5 – to Hutan Melintang, Bagan Datuk, Jalan Sungai Samak – Kampung Sungai Samak
2. Teluk Intan Interchange – EXIT 3223 Linkage to Federal Route 5 – to Hutan Melintang, Bagan Datuk & Route 58 – to Teluk Intan, Bidor
3. Kg Lekir Interchange – EXIT 3230 Linkage to Federal Route 5
4. Sitiawan Interchange – EXIT 3231 Linkage to Federal Route 5
5. Sitiawan North Interchange – EXIT 3232 Linkage to Sitiawan, Ayer Tawar, Seri Manjung, Lumut, Lumut Port, Pulau Pangkor, Teluk Senangin 
6. Changkat Cermin Interchange – EXIT 3233 Linkage to Federal Route 5 – to Air Tawar, Bota, Seri Iskandar, Batu Gajah, Ipoh
7. Kinta West Interchange
8. Bruas Interchange – EXIT 3235 Linkage to Federal Route 73
9. A130 Interchange
10. Trong Interchange – Linkage to Federal Route 60
11. Taiping South Interchange – Linkage to NSE [AH2] – to Changkat Jering, Taiping, K.Kangsar, Penang, Alor Setar

WCE Interchanges in Selangor Section

1. Banting Interchange – Linkage to Federal Route 31 – to Banting, Dengkil, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Morib, Tanjung Sepat
2. SKVE Interchange – Linkage to South Klang Valley Expressway – to Pulau Indah Port, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, Kajang
3. SAE Interchange – EXIT 3204 Linkage to Shah Alam Expressway – Pulau Indah Port, Klang, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur
4. Sri Andalas Interchange – EXIT 3205 Linkage to Federal Route 190 – to Taman Sri Andalas
5. FHR2 Interchange – EXIT 3207C Linkage to Federal Highway Route 2 – to Klang, Shah Alam
6. NNKSB1 Interchange – EXIT 3207B Linkage to NNKSB/NKVE – to Pelabuhan Klang
7. NNKSB2 Interchange – EXIT 3207A Linkage to NNKSB/Federal Route 3217 – to Jalan Perindustrian Kapar–Meru – Kapar, Meru, Setia Alam
8. Kapar Interchange – EXIT 3208 Linkage to Federal Route 3217- to Jalan Perindustrian Kapar–Meru – Kapar, Meru, Setia Alam
9. Assam Jawa Interchange – EXIT 3210 Linkage to LATAR & Federal Route 54 – to Kuala Selangor, Bestari Jaya
10. Tanjung Karang Interchange – EXIT 3212 Linkage to Federal Route 5

WCE, Another Milestone to the better Highway Network

It goes without saying that location determines if one property will bring potential asset appreciation. Connectivity is the main factor closely related to location. Transport infrastructure definitely attracts many investors, thus property hot spots emerge from the locations along Taiping Banting Highway, also know as WCE, is an organic development.

As the name implies, WCE is a coastal area expressway building along the west coast of peninsular Malaysia starts from Changkat Jering, Taiping. Connects many of the least developed towns, including those fishery villages along the coastal, such as Bruas, Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan, Bagan Datuk, Teluk Intan, Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar, Sekinchan, Tanjung Karang, Kuala Selangor, Kapah, Telok Penglima, Jenjarom and last but not least Banting.

Building of Taiping – Banting Highway can be seen as partial upgrading of Federal Route 5, which starts from Ipoh in Perak all the way along the coastal towns to Johor Bahru. Since the WCE construction started in 2014, many of the above areas have seen an upward trend in property market, and increase in property prices.

Also, many of the proximity towns like Morib and Dengkil to Banting; Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan; Lekir, Seri Manjung, Lumut and Pulau Pangkor to Sitiawan; Pantai Remis, Terong and Kuala Sepetang to Changkat Jering, will have spillover effects. Which in turn beneficial to the tourism industry for its better accessibility.

Transport Infrastructure also means business

When completed, WCE will be connected to many important expressways, including
North-South Expressway, the Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway, the New Klang Valley Expressway, the New North Klang Straits Bypass, and the Shah Alam Expressway and the South Klang Valley Expressway. Not only another milestone to put the highway connectivity to a more complete highway network in peninsular Malaysia, but also facilitate and boosting business activities.

WCE to complement existing highways, not compete

Its construction is to support and relieve the worsening traffic congestion, by providing an alternative route for road users

by NURUL SUHAIDI  | August 2nd, 2023

THE new West Coast Expressway (WCE) is set to complement other existing highways, giving more options for road users especially in alleviating traffic congestion during peak seasons.

Rather than being isolated projects, new highways are often designed to integrate with and enhance the existing transportation infrastructure.

In the case of WCE, it is designed to complement existing highways which are the North-South Expressway (Plus), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB), Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar) and Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas) in order to maximise its coverage and gives road users more options.

According to WCE CEO Lyndon Alfred Felix, the construction of WCE is to support and relieve the worsening traffic congestion.

There are not many changes in the alignments of the existing highways but instead, there are alternative routes to divert the traffic for road users.

“Especially in Klang Valley, highways are usually congested almost to a breaking point.

“As a highway community, we always consider ourselves as complementing each other, in no way competing with each other,” he said in an interview with The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).

By carefully planning and coordinating between new and existing roads, transportation authorities can create a more efficient, inter-connected and robust network for the benefit of all users.

Upon its completion, WCE will interconnect with Latar at KM0 Ijok flyover, offering an alternative route to the north for Klang Valley commuters.

In response to its impact on the Latar highway, its COO Ahmad Fuad Ahmad Shahimi said WCE is poised to bring a positive impact on the existing alignment of Latar in the way it will reduce traffic congestion and lead to smoother traffic flow.

“It will reduce traffic congestion on existing highways and federal routes as some of it will be diverted to WCE.

“This will lead to smoother traffic flow and potentially decrease commuting time for people travelling between cities, especially during peak hours,” he told TMR.

The Latar-WCE connection will also provide a supporting alternative to travel to the north, which was previously provided by and accessible only via the Plus highway.

“Beyond that, commuters will also be able to traverse with ease from west to east and vice versa via the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring (KLORR) upon its full completion with its many ‘arteries’ or expressways,” he added.

According to Ahmad Fuad, as the highway community, Latar promotes and facilitates technical discussions with all local developers in the Latar vicinity to improve connectivity to WCE and other major highways.

He said since its initiation, Latar has been aware that WCE projects will be connected to it.

“Therefore, even before the project commenced, we had been actively supporting the development by constructing the link (fly-over) to WCE since the beginning of

Latar development, and long before WCE started its construction,” he added.

While existing highways might serve different purposes or cater to specific types of traffic, the entire WCE with 21 interchanges will provide convenience to users to plan and travel more efficiently.

Along the Latar expressway, based on the project plan, the Ijok Interchange will be fed into WCE, linking to townships like Lumut and Taiping in Perak.

“Taking advantage of the convenience and strategic connectivity of Latar to major routes and towns, there are many more developers coming to build new interchanges along it,” Ahmad Fuad said.

He added that currently, the Latar team is also working closely with Eco World Development Group Bhd for an upcoming interchange road between Eco Grandeur and Latar.

Meanwhile, WCE is said to boost economic development within the adjacent corridor, from Banting, Klang, Puncak Alam, Rawang, Ijok, Kuala Selangor, Tanjong Karang and Sabak Bernam to the greater area of KL and Shah Alam.

For any road infrastructure project, maintaining a high standard during and after construction is pivotal to ensure its longevity, safety and efficient performance.

Due to that, each highway construction project has to go through due process, testing the feasibility and viability, and must obtain approval from the affected communities.

As for WCE, Felix said to ensure its safety and high standards, its engineering team has undergone the process of ground treatment and consolidation to ensure the expressway is built on solid land.

“In the context of WCE, our challenge is that we are a coastal highway, so the ground is very soft.

“When the ground is soft, you could have a situation where the ground starts to sink,” Felix said.

He added that the process of ensuring the land settles and ground treatment takes about 12 to 18 months to consolidate.

Meanwhile, former Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) DG Datuk Seri Aziz Abdullah, who was involved in road infrastructure implementation, applauded WCE and believed that the project is complementary and could bring a positive impact to alleviate the traffic condition in the country.

“Our traffic keeps increasing year by year, and highways will soon reach their full daily capacity. When this happens, road users need alternatives, otherwise the situation will only get worse,” he told TMR.

He also encouraged the privatisation of more highways and infrastructure projects to allow the government to focus more on rural developments.

“In my opinion, it is a good policy. If it is a good project, why not allow the private sector to finance and oversee it as long as the project is viable and benefits the public,” he said.

However, he highlighted the necessity of properly maintaining and sustaining both the new and the existing routes, as taxpayers are paying the tolls and they have the right to comfortable roads.

As of June 2023, four WCE sections and interchanges have been opened and are accessible for the public from Hutan Melintang to Taiping Selatan.

WCE is looking to open four more sections namely the SKVE, Banting, Assam Jawa and Taiping Selatan sections by the end of this year.

Once fully completed, it is expected to boost economic growth and surrounding developments.

The connectivity provided can also stimulate the growth of smaller towns along the route.

 – The Malaysian Reserve

Malaysia Expressway & Highway Glossary

• WCE [ E32 ] -West Coast Expressway (Lebuhraya Pesisiran Pantai Barat)
• WCE also known as Taiping – Banting Highway (under construction)
• NSE [ E1 & E2 ] North-south Expressway (PLUS)
• LATAR [ E25 ] – Kuala Lumpur – Kuala Selangor Expressway
• GEC [ E35 ] – Guthrie Corridor Expressway
• NKVE [ E1 ] – New Klang Valley Expressway (PLUS)
• NNKSB [ E30 ] – [ AH141 ] New North Klang Straits Bypass (Shapadu)
• ECE / LPT1 [ E8 ] [ AH141 ] – Gombak – Karak Expressway
• SPE [ E39 ] – Setiawangsa – Pantai Expressway
• LDP [ E11 ] – Damansara – Puchong Expressway
• DASH [ E31 ] – Damansara – Shah Alam Elevated Expressway
• DUKE [ E33 ] [ AH141 ] – Duta – Ulu Klang Expressway
• SPRINT [ E23 ] – Kerinchi Link, Damansara Link, and Penchala Link Highway
• NPE [ E10 ] – New Pantai Expressway
• LKSA [ E13 ] – Kamuning – Shah Alam Highway
• ELITE [ E6 ] – North-South Expressway Central Link
• SAE [ E5 ] – Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)
• SKVE [ E26 ]- South Klang Valley Expressway
• EKVE [ E27 ] – East Klang Valley Expressway
• SMART [ E38 ] – KL Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel
• AKLEH [ E12 ] – Ampang – Kuala Lumpur Highway
• MEX [ E20 ] – Kuala Lumpur – Putrajaya Expressway
• Besraya [ E9 ] – Sungai Besi Expressway
• SUKE [ E19 ] – Sungai Besi – Ulu Klang Expressway
• SILK [ E18 ] – Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway
• GRAND SAGA [ E7 ] – Cheras – Kajang Highway
• LEKAS [ E21 ] – Kajang – Seremban Expressway
• SPDH [ E29 ] – Seremban – Port Dickson Highway

• JPP [ E36 ] – Penang Bridge
• JSAHMS [ E28 ] – Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge (2nd Bridge)
• BKE [ E15 ] [ AH140 ] – Butterworth – Kulim Expressway
• BORR/LLB [ E17 ] – Butterworth Outer Ring Road
• WISE – West Ipoh Span Expressway (Menora Tunnel Bypass Expressway)
• SDE [ E22 ] – Senai – Desaru Expressway
• EDL [ E14 ] [ AH2 ] – Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway
• LINKEDUA – Malaysia – Singapore Second Link
• RTS – The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (under construction)
• AH2 [ E1 & E2 ] – Asian Highway 2 (a road in the Asian Highway Network running 13,107 km from Denpasar, Indonesia to Merak and Singapore to Khosravi, Iran)
• AH18 [ FT3 ] – one of the Asian Highway Network running from Hat Yai in Southern Thailand, via eastern coastal trunk road along Federal Route 3 in Malaysia. Across states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang & Johor, terminus in Johor Bahru.