Senai-Desaru Expressway Bhd awaits nod for rates

Friday July 31
By ZAZALI MUSA
The Star

ULU TIRAM: Senai-Desaru Expressway Bhd (SDEB), the concessionaire of Senai-Pasir Gudang-Desaru Expressway, recently submitted to the Government its proposal on the toll rates for the highway. Chief executive officer Mustaza Salim hoped the Government would approve the proposed rates as soon as possible, as it planned to open the expressway before the start of the fasting month on Aug 22.

SDEB’s majority shareholder is Ranhill Bhd with an investment of RM430mil, or 65.6% stake. Islamic Development Bank Bhd holds 29% stake or RM190mil investment while Rancak Bistari Sdn Bhd and YPJ Holdings Sdn Bhd with RM24.5mil and RM10.5mil respectively.

“We assure motorists that our toll rates are much lower than the current rates at the North-South Expressway,’’ he told reporters during a media familiarisation tour yesterday.

The RM1.4bil expressway links Senai to Desaru in the eastern part of Johor and connects users to Pasir Gudang at the Tanjung Langsat industrial area via the Pasir Gudang interchange. The 77km stretch will have six interchanges, four toll plazas and two rest and service areas. Mustaza said next month’s opening would involve the 50km stretch from Senai to Cahaya Baru with a connection to Pasir Gudang. He said the partial opening would reduce travel time from Senai to Pasir Gudang from one hour to only 23 minutes.

“We are looking at some 30,000 vehicles using the 50km stretch daily,’’ he said.
Mustaza said the remaining 27km of the expressway from Cahaya Baru to Desaru would be opened early next year. This include the 1.7km single-plane cable-stayed bridge across Sungai Johor which is one of the longest single-plane cable-styled bridges in the world with 500m span.

He said when fully opened, the expressway would boost tourism activities in Desaru, a popular holiday spot for locals and Singaporeans in early 1970s and mid-1980s.The popularity of Desaru dwindled as it took over two hours to get to the 27km white sandy beaches from Johor Baru. The new highway will cut the journey to 45 minutes.