Current Affairs

KIDEX, if constructed, would incur highest cost per km

By Yeo Bee Yin, Assemblywoman for Damansara Utama

KIDEX editIf KIDEX is to be constructed, the 14.9km highway with a construction cost of RM2.4 billion, will incur the highest construction cost per km in Malaysia tolled roads history, costing us RM 161 million per km. (See table below for construction cost per km for existing toll roads).

In addition, the price tag RM 2.4 billion has not included the land acquisition cost.

Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment of KIDEX states that 290 lots of land with a total of 15.15 hectares will have to be acquired to make way for the construction of the highway.

According to the current market value of the lands along the proposed alignment, it is estimated that it will cost about RM 700 million to RM 1 billion to conduct such scale of land acquisition according to the procedures stated in Land Acquisition Act.

This will add up the total cost of KIDEX to RM 3.1 billion to RM 3.4 billion.

An elevated highway that cuts through a mature township, incurring the highest construction cost per km and costs more than RM 3 billion of rakyat monies warrants close scrutiny and greater transparency.

Both the state and federal government, which have given “approval in principle” and “conditional approval” respectively, must show to the people that the benefits of KIDEX indeed outweighs the cost with no better option (such as public transport) before making the final decision on whether to approve the project.

We urge for a greater transparency and accountability from both the state and federal government to the general public, especially those whose lives will be affected by the highway.

List of Tolled Roads

Cost of Construction (RM million) Length of Highway (km)

Cost per km (RM million)

North-South Expressway (NSE Northern Route)

5,945 456.0

13.04

New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE)

1,000 35.0 28.57
Second Link Expressway 1,149 47.0

24.45

Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)

1,300 34.5 37.68
Central Link (ELITE) 1,000 63.0

15.87

Cheras-Kajang Expressway

336 11.5 29.22
Karak Expressway 568 60.0

9.47

New Pantai Expressway

1,360 19.6 69.39
Damansara Puchong Expressway (LDP) 1,327 40.0

33.18

Ampang KL Elevated Highway (AKLEH)

751 7.9 95.06

Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA)

750 14.7 51.02

Butterworth Kulim Expressway (BKE)

256 17.0 15.06
Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) 480 12.1

39.67

Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK) 800 37.0

21.62

Maju Expressway (MEX) 1,320 26.0

50.77

Kajang Seremban Highway (LEKAS)

900 44.3 20.32

Senai Desaru Expressway (SDE)

1,300 77.0 16.88

Sprint Expressway

1,184 26.5

44.68

KL Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR)

958 33.0

29.03

South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)

1,100 51.0

21.57

Seremban Port Dickson Highway

142 23.0

6.17

Duta Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE)

1,166 18.0

64.78

Guthrie Corridor Expressway 501 25.0

20.04

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