KK's deadly highway needs urgent upgrade
Phoong
KOTA KINABALU (June 8): Jalan Lintas has become a traffic accident black spot in Kota Kinabalu following multiple fatal accidents, said Luyang assemblyman Phoong Jin Zhe.
'As one of the city's busiest highways, the authorities can no longer turn a blind eye,' said Phoong when responding to recent viral reports of multiple fatal accidents along Jalan Lintas.
He pointed out that the current traffic situation of Jalan Lintas is severely outdated and no longer meets the needs of the public, creating major safety risks.
He stressed the urgent need for upgrading works and once again called on the federal government to include the improvement project for Jalan Lintas in the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) as a targeted solution.
Phoong, who is Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister, explained that while Jalan Lintas was originally designed to expressway standards, rapid urbanization in Kota Kinabalu, especially in surrounding areas such as Luyang, Sembulan, Kolombong and Lintas has led to the mushrooming development of residential and commercial zones.
'This has resulted in the uncontrolled addition of exits and U-turn points, increasing hazards and causing safety lapses,' he stated.
He added that the road can no longer handle the current volume of traffic in Kota Kinabalu. Not only is it severely congested during peak hours, but the abundance of U-turns, exits, and traffic lights also disrupts smooth traffic flow, effectively defeating the purpose of an expressway.
'These conditions have led to frequent accidents, especially in the areas near Khidmat and Iramanis Starbucks, now infamously known online as 'death U-turn' zones, with horrifying accident videos frequently surfacing online and alarming road users,' Phoong shared in a statement today.
He noted that the last major improvement project on Jalan Lintas was undertaken during the 11th Malaysia Plan, a full decade ago when the government built two U-turn flyovers in front of Luyang clinic and two intersection flyovers between Lido and Lintas.
'Since then, Jalan Lintas's population and vehicle count have doubled, with surrounding areas rapidly developing. Therefore, further upgrades to Jalan Lintas and the construction of additional U-turn flyovers must now keep pace with progress, without further delay,' he urged.
Phoong revealed that he has actively engaged with relevant agencies to propose a comprehensive upgrade of Jalan Lintas under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
'This includes eliminating hazardous U-turns, building elevated U-turn flyovers, creating express lanes and interchanges, and reorganizing exit layouts to separate residential and commercial zone access points — aiming to reduce traffic conflict zones,'
'This includes the idea to construct an express lane from the Inanam flyover directly to Kota Kinabalu International Airport to avoid the constant merging of fast and slow lanes, thereby reducing accident risks — something commonly seen in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor,' he urged
Phoong, who is also the DAP Sabah chairman, is strongly advocating for the Jalan Lintas upgrade project to be listed as a high-priority item in the 13th Malaysia Plan and has called on the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) to push for it with firm justification.
He also emphasized that the upgrading of Jalan Lintas must go hand in hand with public transport planning, which must be addressed immediately to keep up with the rapid pace of development in the surrounding areas.
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