West Coast Expressway (WCE) Section 1 from Banting to SKVE has been inaugurated, opening tonight – free until 29 September

Another part of West Coast Expressway (WCE) now operational. Section 1 of the WCE connecting the Banting Interchange with the South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) Interchange was officially opened by Public Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi today.

At the launch event held at the Banting toll plaza in WCE Section 1, Alexander announced that the newly opened section of road will open to traffic at midnight tonight and will be toll-free for a month, ending at midnight on 29 September. However, note that this offer is only available from WCE and if you enter from SKVE, tolls on that motorway will still apply as normal – see the image below for a clearer picture.

Section 1 of the WCE is 12.5km long and is the southernmost section of the highway, connecting Banting in Selangor with Taiping in Perak, along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The adjacent Section 2 is expected to be operational by the end of the year – when it opens, motorists can expect to save up to 30 minutes on the time it takes to get from Banting to the Kesas Expressway, compared to existing routes.

We drove to the only toll booth at Section 1 of the E32 from Interstate 5 and exited at SKVE after the event. In terms of amenities, there’s not much to speak of other than a small rest area next to the toll booth, with restrooms and surah. WCE said Section 2 will have R&R. The franchisor expects volumes of about 8,000 to 10,000 vehicles a day for Section 1.

As of now, seven of the 11 sections of the WCE have been completed and Section 2 – a 7.2km section connecting the SKVE interchange with the Kesas Motorway interchange – is expected to open to traffic in December.

Parts of the WCE have been opening in phases since late 2019 and Section 5 from Bandar Bukit Raja Selatan to Bandar Bukit Raja Utara kicked things off. In November 2023, 21.8 km Section 6 from Bandar Bukit Raja Utara to Assam Jawa was rejoined, forming 2/7 sections in Selangor.

Progress in Perak has been more advanced – in March this year, Section 11 from Beruas to Taiping Selatan was opened, making up 4/4 of the way in the state, a smooth journey from Hutan Melintang just across the Selangor border, all the way to Taiping.

After Section 2 opens in December, the remaining sections in Selangor will be S3 (SAE to NKVE, Federal Highway), S4 (NKVE, Federal Highway to NNKSB) and S7 (Assam Jawa to Tanjung Karang).

Once completed, the WCE will be 314.5km long, covering areas such as Beruas, Sri Manjung, Sitiawan, Teluk Intan, Bagan Datuk and Hutan Melintang in Perak; as well as Sabak Bernam, Tanjong Karang, Kuala Selangor, Klang, Shah Alam and Banting in Selangor. Interestingly, the E32 also incorporates part of the ‘old road’ FT5 in its straight line – you’ll see this in the Sabak Bernam/Sekinchan area as well as Teluk Intan to Lekir.

Have you used all the open WCE routes? If so, what do you think of this ‘PLUS for west coast towns’ – is it useful?

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