Jalan Tanjung Bandar Utama was closed for 85 days, and the issue raised on the plight by residents of Riana Green apartment is to no avail as residents use up extra time and fuel to go home.

Jalan Tanjung was closed on 16 November last year. Formerly, Riana Green residents will have to travel 1km from SPRINT highway, go through Jalan Tanjung and Jalan Tropicana to reach their apartment. But now, barricades blocked half of the two-lane road, which causes the road to allow only one-way traffic to flow and residents have to use a longer way to go back home.

Riana Green resident, Udo Kraus, from Germany, live in Malaysia as he participates in the ‘Malaysia Second Home Plan’. He is very disappointed with the traffic congestion at the area.

Udo Kraus conducted a study on the Jalan Tanjung road closure issue. He said that the usual 1km journey to the apartment from SPRINT highway via Jalan Tanjung will no longer be possible since the closure of Jalan Tanjung. Residents will have to go through either Jalan Kota Damansara or Jalan Tropicana to reach the apartment.

The limitations for both alternative routes

There are limitations for both alternative ways mentioned; for instance, through Jalan Kota Damansara, the distance is 6km and it is congested during going-to-work and after-work hours, while through Jalan Kota Damansara, the distance is 4.5km, which is also congested with traffic and the road floods when raining. Kraus said these in a press conference by Action Group Against Closure Committee, today.

Kraus also said that based on the estimation made from the first day of road closure till today, residents have wasted a lot of time and fuel.

“According to my estimation, an average of 1234 vehicles use the road and have to detour to Jalan Damansara and Jalan Tropicana - they have to travel an extra 440,538 km in distance and used extra 44,054 liters of fuel which totals a cost of RM79,297 in losses.

Residents were not notified of road closure

Simultaneously, during the detour, vehicles released an extra 101,324 kg of Carbon Dioxide in rough estimation. Thus, a detour is not environmental-friendly.

Action Group Against Closure Chairman Mohamed Shukri Zain said, he hopes the State and MBPJ will quickly find a solution.

We are not pleased when we were not notified of the road closure. This is a nightmare for us as the traffic is congested when we are going to and coming back from work.