EDL expressway to be opened Mar 1: Johor MB

JOHOR BARU: The Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) expressway will be opened to public for free on March 1, said Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

He said the opening of the expressway was to allow road users to familiarise themselves with it.

However, there was no period prescribed for the free use.

"The opening of the expressway will reduce traffic congestion at the Tebrau Highway and reduce travelling time from Plentong to Kota Iskandar to less than 30 minutes," he told reporters after launching the Southkey Sales Gallery at Jalan Bakar Batu here on Saturday.

He said the toll charges for the expressway would only be known in a few weeks.

"The government is still deliberating the toll rates and we hope for a good result," he said.

Meanwhile, Abdul Ghani said Jalan Bakar Batu would be upgraded to four lanes with construction work to begin in September.

Built by the Selia Group with funding of RM35mil from the federal government, the 1.8km-long highway which will link with the Tebrau Highway and EDL, is expected to be completed in early 2014-bernama