Sprint Expressway

Sprint Expressway (Acronym in Malay : Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat = Western KL Traffic Dispersial System or Lebuhraya Sprint) is the main expressway network in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The 26.5 km of expressway is divided into three sections. This sections included the Kerinchi Link, Damansara Link and Penchala Link. It is a three-lane dual carriageway that was built to disperse traffic from congested inner city roads and narrow residential roads leading into the city of Kuala Lumpur from the western suburbs of Petaling Jaya and Damansara and surrounding areas. This expressway is also known as Western Dispersal Link Scheme. It is a busiest expressway during rush hour from/to Kuala Lumpur.

Kerinchi Link
The 11.5 km sections from Seputeh Interchange at Federal Highway to NKVE at Jalan Duta. The Kilometre Zero of the Kerinchi Link's section begins at Mont Kiara-NKVE Interchange.

Damansara Link
The 9.5 km sections from Kayu Ara to Jalan Duta-Semantan Interchange. The Kilometre Zero of the Damansara Link's section begins at Kampung Kayu Ara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Penchala Link
The 5.5 km sections from Damansara-Puchong Expressway at Bukit Lanjan, Penchala Tunnel to Mont Kiara. The Kilometre Zero of the Penchala Link's section begins at Mont Kiara Interchange

History
The proposal to build the expressway began in 1997 while the massive traffic jams on Jalan Damansara were a main factor for its construction. The concession for the expressway was awarded to Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat Sdn Bhd (Sprint) in 1997. The construction began in 1999. The expressway is formally known as Jalan Damansara, Jalan Kayu Ara, Jalan Sri Hartamas, and Jalan Semantan. The Kerinchi Link and Damansara Link was opened in 2001, and in 2004 the Penchala Link was opened.

This expressway also featured its own toll collection system known as the FasTrak. Since 1 July 2004, the FasTrak electronic payment system has been replaced by Touch 'n Go and Smart TAG electronic payment systems.

Pioneer roads
The construction of the Sprint Expressway includes the acquisition and upgrades of several major roads as follows:-

Features



 * Kerinchi Link the first double deck carriageway in Malaysia.
 * Penchala Tunnel the widest road tunnel in Malaysia.
 * The Damansara Town Centre on Damansara Link become as the "island" of separated carriageway.
 * The 3 km toll free road at Damansara Link as an alternative to residents who live in Sections 16 and 17 of Petaling Jaya
 * The Speed Indicator Display (SID) at Kerinchi Link.
 * The elevated Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT line from Taman Tun Dr Ismail to Jalan Duta

Kerinchi Link at the Universiti Malaya site
The double-deck carriageway design of Kerinchi Link from Bukit Kiara Interchange to Kerinchi Interchange  was actually made as a result of the early controversial issues during the development stage. The construction of the stretch took place at the border of Universiti Malaya, which meant that the construction could take up some of the university area, which sparked complaints. As a result, the expressway concessionaire Sprint came up with the idea of a double-deck carriageway which could reduce the land usage.

Damansara Town Centre as the "island" of separated carriageway
During the construction of the expressway, Jalan Semantan could not be widened to 6-lane expressway, therefore the highway concessionaire took another main road at Damansara Town Centre for the eastbound route such as Jalan Johar and Jalan Beringin. As a result, Damansara Town Centre became as the "island" of the separated carriageways.

Disputed ramp
When the expressway was opened to the traffic, the 530 m long 2-lane off-ramp from the northbound direction of Kerinchi Link to Penchala Link at the Mont Kiara Interchange could not be opened to traffic as a result of a land owner fencing the land which became a part of the ramp. The land owner's action has created difficulties among the residents of Bukit Kiara and Sri Hartamas, and even the highway concessionaire itself.

Meanwhile, the highway concessionaire has made a narrower temporary ramp to Penchala Link but according to the highway concessionaire, the temporary ramp is quite unsafe due to risks of being collided from behind. For the time being, the highway concessionaire is still negotiating with the land owner in order to open the 2-lane ramp.

Opening the ramp
At 3pm, June 3, 2010, Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor officially opened this disputed ramp.

"Hitherto, road users living in the Mont Kiara and Sri Hartamas areas wanting to go to Jalan Duta, Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) and Penchala Link only had two lanes to use.

"This new ramp will ease the movement of almost 22,000 vehicles per day", he told reporters after opening the ramp.

Shaziman said the 50-metre ramp, which was delayed for seven years owing to problems related to acquisition of land, was completed in five months after the intervention by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who had immediately approved about RM20 million for the acquisition of land.

The old SJKC Damansara near Sprint Expressway
The old SJKC Damansara has one block located at Section 17 near Jalan Damansara (now Sprint Expressway). However on 26 January 2001, the school was moved from old block at Section 17 to the new smart school at PJU 3, near Tropicana Golf and Country Club following the instructions from federal government that it no longer provided a "conducive learning environment" because of traffic congestion and noise pollution from the neighbouring Sprint Expressway.