East Coast Highway Phase 1 to Reopen at 3:30pm After Massive Flood

By Ammar Haziq  •  04 Jan 2021 in News

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It was bad news for travellers using the East Coast Highway (LPT) Phase 1 that were forced to turn around or postponed their journeys following the road closure at Kilometre (KM) 198.8, East and West bound, near Gambang and Sri Jaya around 8:30am, Bernama reported.

Many were stranded or forced to turn back after a kilometre-long section of the highway was flooded in two-metre high water. ANIH Berhad shared an image showing the highway that was earlier swamped by murky water.

Fortunately, ANIH Berhad, the concessionaire of the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 (LPT1) issued a statement that the KM198 LPT1 Gambang-Sri Jaya stretch would be reopened to all vehicles at 3:30pm with two eastbound lanes open, and only one lane westbound to Kuala Lumpur open to vehicles now.

Additionally, LPT Phase 2 (LPT2) road users are urged to plan their journeys due to the flooding at LPT1. LPT 2 Sdn Bhd business manager Roszi Ibrahim said the LPT2, between Kuala Terengganu and Jabor, was fully operational.

“Due to the fact that the LPT2 is connected to LPT1, travellers who have entered LPT2 are urged to stop at our Rest and Service (R&R) areas. Various facilities are available at these areas and there is ample parking for the public to rest before resuming their journeys after the flooding at LPT1 has receded,” he said in a statement.

According to New Straits Times, this was the second incident along the LPT. Back in 2015, a section of the expressway near Temerloh was severely flooded, causing the stretch to closed for seven days.