By Rosli Khan
The proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link expressway (PJD Link), which seeks to connect Damansara and Bandar Kinrara, faces a critical challenge that could render its construction impractical: the presence of underground utilities.
The technical agencies responsible for assessing the feasibility of such projects – the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), the Public Works Department (JKR) and the Petaling Jaya City Council – do not appear to have conducted a thorough evaluation of the underground infrastructure along the proposed alignment.
These agencies bear the heavy responsibility of ensuring proper scrutiny of the project before approving it. Have they adequately examined what lies beneath the proposed alignment?
Utility mapping
According to David Yoong, a vocal resident of PJ with over 35 years of practical engineering experience, these technical agencies have not produced comprehensive utility maps for the project.
This underground mapping, commonly conducted in many developed countries, shows the location of crucial service infrastructure like water pipes, power cables, telecoms lines, gas pipelines, and sewage and drainage systems.
“Therefore, their ability to assess and evaluate the viability of this proposal is rightfully called into question,” Yoong told me.
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Another long time PJ resident, the owner of an established contracting company who wished to remain anonymous, said Petaling Jaya’s development began in the 1960s.
Much of PJ’s utility service infrastructure lies under its streets, buried decades ago beneath many roads and road reserves.
Massive disruptions
Disturbing these lines during construction could spell disaster for nearby buildings and homes in and around PJ, Damansara and Kinrara. He said this may result in massive disruptions, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses.
If disturbed, the rectification of these utilities may take several years, he said, inconveniencing PJ residents.
He asked if the authorities have properly considered these risks and whether alternative plans have been devised to minimise possible disruptions. Have they prepared a detailed compensation package for affected residents and property owners?
“Is the government prepared for the worst-case scenario, which in all fairness, is very likely to happen?” he asked, adding that the repercussions may be felt at the next general election, due in 2027.
Without clear assurances, such projects risk eroding public trust in the government’s ability to manage infrastructure responsibly.
Challenges in elevated highway construction
Building an elevated highway like the PJD Link requires extensive piling works, said another engineer friend of mine who specialises in geotechnical surveys.
The columns must be deeply embedded and supported by wide foundations, necessitating large-scale excavation and relocation of underground services.
Such activities will cause significant disruption to daily life in the affected areas and may affect surface water run-off during heavy rainfall or in rainy spells like those of recent weeks.
This will result in regular flash floods in PJ and Damansara. In other words, the risks associated with this project are immense.
According to a contractor friend of mine, project contractors associated with the PJD Link are likely to encounter unforeseen issues, such as burst water or gas pipes, which could result in catastrophic damage.
While he agreed with Yoong that utility mapping in PJ is still a big “black hole”, these risks would not be covered in the detailed design and project’s bill of quantities.
Consequently, it would expose contractors to huge financial risks and liabilities, which they may not want to undertake.
“The expenses associated with relocating decades-old utility lines would likely exceed the cost of building the highway itself, rendering the project economically unviable,” he said.
Against core ‘Madani’ values
The lack of a proper cost-benefit analysis raises serious concerns.
“Have LLM and JKR fully evaluated the implications of this alignment, including the financial, construction and logistical challenges of utility relocation?” Yoong asked.
If not, their failure may be tantamount to a lack of accountability and technical foresight, which would not reflect well on the “Madani” (civil and compassionate) government, especially in relation to its core values of sustainability, respect, trust and compassion.
This is not merely a technical oversight – it is a matter of national significance as it could take place in infrastructure projects across the country.
The Ministry of Works, as the ultimate authority overseeing these agencies, must look into these matters.
“The competency and accountability of both the ministry and its technical agencies are now under scrutiny,” Yoong said.
The government must recognise that the PJD Link, as currently proposed, poses far too many risks – technical, financial and societal.
Proceeding without addressing these concerns would be an exercise in futility and an abdication of the ministry’s responsibility to the public.
That would leave the ministry with a massive perception issue to deal with, making the prime minister’s Madani concept ring hollow. – Free Malaysia Today
Rosli Khan, a traffic planning consultant, has a masters in transport planning and a PhD in transport economics from Cranfield University in England.
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