Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway

Route description

The expressway begins at Gombak North Interchange in Gombak, Selangor and its interchange with the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 (Federal Route 28). The Kilometre Zero is counted from the Kuala Lumpur city centre via Federal Route 2 (Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 1, Jalan Pahang (Genting Klang-Pahang Highway), Jalan Gombak (Federal Route 68), Jalan Kampung Bandar Dalam and Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway E33); the actual starting point of the expressway is counted as Kilometre 19. Next, the expressway passes the Titiwangsa Range and the Genting Sempah Tunnel towards the Genting Sempah at Pahang border.

The section between Bentong and Karak is the sole route from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan and vice versa, as Jalan Gombak (Federal Route 68) which serves as the toll-free alternative for the expressway ends at Ketari, Bentong. At Karak Interchange, the expressway diverts the section to Karak to continue as Federal Route 2 while the expressway itself continues as the East Coast Expressway.

Two-lane federal highway

Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway was originally built in the 1970s by the government of Malaysia as an alternative for the winding, narrow Federal Route 68 which runs from Gombak in Kuala Lumpur to Bentong, Pahang. The highway is also a part of Federal Route 2 (not to be confused with Federal Highway). The highway included a 900-m tunnel at Genting Sempah, which became Malaysia's first highway tunnel ever constructed. It was officially opened on 1979 by Minister of Works and Communications that time Dato Abdul Ghani Gilong.

However, the cost of the construction of this highway was considered as expensive for Malaysia which at that time was an agricultural country. Therefore, the government decided to make Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway as a toll road to help covering all the construction works. As a result, two toll gates were constructed at Gombak and Bentong and the toll road was administered under Malaysian Highway Authority. The highway was officially opened to traffic in 1977.

Multi-lane expressway

The importance of Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway as the main road from Kuala Lumpur to eastern states of Peninsular Malaysia resulted in the government's decision to upgrade the highway to a multi-lane expressway by duplicating the whole highway stretch at another side. Thus, the former two-lane highway become a dual-carriageway with six lanes (three in each direction) from Kuala Lumpur to Genting Highlands exit and four lanes (two in each direction) for the rest of the expressway.

The upgrading works also included the construction of a second tunnel located beside the existing tunnel to provide additional two lanes for eastbound traffic, widening the toll gates at Gombak and Bentong and also constructing interchanges to replace junctions. However, some junctions were impossible to be upgraded to interchanges due to their geographical locations and therefore some U-turns were constructed to provide entry and exit to the junction for the opposite direction of the expressway. The expressway has two separate carriageway at Genting Sempah in Selangor-Pahang border (one for Selangor side and one for Pahang side) due to their geographical locations. It is probably the only one of its type in Malaysia. The upgrade works of the expressway was completed in 1997.

MTD Prime holds the concession of Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway together with East Coast Expressway. By the completion of Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway, the expressway acquired its official route number, E8, which resulted in overlapping route numbers. As a result, some maps labelled Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway as E8 and some other maps labelled the expressway as Federal Route 2. No matter which route number is used to refer to Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway, both route numbers can be used since the expressway itself is a part of Federal Route 2.

On 7 April 2011, MTD Prime changed its name into ANIH Berhad after taking over the operations of Toll Concession from MTD Prime Sdn Bhd and Metramac Corporation Sdn Bhd who respectively owned the concessions for Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway, East Coast Expressway Phase 1, and Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway (including East–West Link Expressway) with effect from 6 December 2011.

Major events

28 January 1990 – 17 people including 11 FRU riot police personal were killed in a collision between Federal Reserve Unit riot police vehicles, a tanker lorry, a passenger bus and 10 cars at kilometre 32.5 of the highway not far from Genting Sempah Tunnel in Gombak, Selangor.

17 September 2009 – Motorists using the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and the East Coast Expressway can drive toll free on September 18 and 24 from midnight to 5am during Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

2 September 2010 – The Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and the East Coast Expressway become toll-free from 9pm till 6am on September 7, 8, 15 and 16 during Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

11 November 2015 – A landslide has occurred at km 52.4 of the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway between Lentang and Bukit Tinggi, Pahang due to heavy rains. The Lentang-Bukit Tinggi stretch of the expressway was closed to traffic.

Safety

Like other highland roads and highways, Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway faces risks of landslides especially during rainy season. Therefore, motorists are advised not to use any highland routes including Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway during heavy rain to avoid risks of landslides.

The expressway is lit up entirely with LED Street Light from the Genting Sempah Tunnel until the Gombak Toll Plaza. However, some lights are not functioning while some are already damaged.

Tolls

The Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway using opened toll system.

Electronic Toll Collections (ETC)

As part of an initiative to facilitate faster transaction at the Gombak and Bentong Toll Plazas, all toll transactions at both toll plazas on the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway has now conducted electronically via Touch 'n Go cards or SmartTAGs starting 9 September 2015.

Toll rates

(Starting 15 October 2015)

Bentong toll plaza (BTG)

Note: Toll charges can only be paid with the Touch 'n Go cards or SmartTAG. Cash payment is not accepted.

List of interchanges, laybys and rest and service areas

Below is a list of interchanges (exits), laybys and rest and service areas along the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway. The exits are arranged in ascending numerical order from West to East.

The maximum speed limit for the entire expressway is 90 km/h (except at Genting Sempah viaducts, Gombak Toll Plaza and Bentong Toll Plaza, where the speed limit at those locations is 60 km/h).

Legend:

I/C - interchange, I/S - intersection, RSA - Rest and service area, OBR - overhead bridge restaurant, L/B - layby, V/P - vista point, TN - tunnel, T/P - toll plaza, BR - bridge