Traffic builds up ahead of Deepavali, motorists advised to plan journeys

KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic on several major highways began building up as early as 10am today as people started travelling to their hometowns and making their way to various destinations ahead of tomorrow's Deepavali celebration.

A Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) spokesman said one of the affected routes was the Kuala Lumpur-Karak (KLK) Expressway, where eastbound traffic was congested from the Gombak toll plaza to Lentang.

"Traffic on the East Coast Expressway 1 (LPT1) and East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2), however, remains smooth," the spokesman told Bernama.

He said traffic on the northbound stretch of the North-South Expressway (NSE) E1 was moving slowly from Sungai Buloh to Tanjong Malim, Trolak to Tapah, Gopeng to Simpang Pulai, Alor Pongsu to Bandar Baharu, as well as Permatang Pauh to the Sungai Dua toll plaza.

Meanwhile, on the southbound stretch of NSE E2, traffic was congested from Sungai Besi to the city centre, including towards Bukit Jalil, while slow-moving traffic was reported from Southville City to Bandar Ainsdale and from Seremban to Senawang.

In Johor, northbound traffic heading towards Kuala Lumpur was also moving slowly from Machap to Ayer Hitam, as well as from Skudai towards Kulai, while southbound traffic from Dato' Onn to Pasir Gudang experienced minor delays.

The spokesman said traffic at the Johor Causeway was also relatively congested in both directions, particularly near the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex, although traffic flow on the bridge itself remained smooth.

"Only the Tuas CIQ was experiencing some congestion, while other routes remained smooth. On the ELITE Expressway, there were also minor delays due to traffic merging with the flow from Nilai Utara. Traffic from Bandar Serenia to Nilai Utara was also moving slowly, particularly for vehicles heading towards Seremban," he said.

An accident was reported at Km388.5 northbound, between Sungai Buloh and Tanjong Malim, blocking the left lane and emergency lane.

Those planning to travel during the Deepavali holidays are advised to check current traffic conditions and plan their journeys accordingly to avoid getting caught in congestion along major routes. — BERNAMA