Kulai: Construction works on the additional lane of the North-South Expressway (NSE) on the Sedenak-Kulai section in Johor will be temporarily halted for 12 days from January 23 to February 3. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi announced the pause to ensure smooth traffic flow and reduce road congestion during the Chinese New Year festive season at the end of the month and the school holidays starting this Saturday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nanta mentioned that during the festive season, the two normal lanes will remain unaffected. “An order has been given to stop work from January 23 to February 3 so as not to disturb traffic,” he said. The announcement was made during his visit to the North-South Expressway Additional Lane Construction Project Phase 1 at the Sedenak Elevated Interchange, Kulai. Present at the event were Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) chairman Datuk Seri Utama Ir. Hasni Mohamad, Works Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Mond Sakeri Abdul Kadir, MHA director-general Datuk Ir. Sazali Harun, and PLUS Malaysia Berhad managing director Datuk Nik Airina Nik Jaffar.

In a related development, Nanta provided an update on the progress of the additional lane construction project on the Kulai-Sedenak stretch, which reached 5.02 percent completion as of December 31. The construction, which began in July last year, is advancing smoothly according to schedule. The current work at the location includes earthworks, slope cutting and filling, drainage structures, utility relocation, and traffic management plans.

Nanta further stated that after completing the earthworks on the Sedenak-Kulai route in the south direction, the construction of additional lanes at the location will commence in stages. The entire construction work of this additional lane is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027, with Phase 1 costing RM515 million.