BY JADE CHAN

The dispersal link will connect 1Powerhouse (right) to Persiaran Surian in Petaling Jaya. The flyover will be built above Dataran Bandar Utama. — IBRAHIM MOHTAR/The Star

BANDAR Utama 3 residents are upset over the lack of information and public consultation on a project to build a dispersal link from 1Powerhouse to Persiaran Surian.

1Powerhouse, a transit-oriented development with public facilities such as parking bays and feeder bus terminus to complement the Bandar Utama MRT Station and future LRT3 station, will also provide a direct link to 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

“The dispersal link or flyover will be built above Dataran Bandar Utama,” said Bandar Utama 3 Residents’ Association (PPBU3) chairman Lai Wing Fatt during a meeting with BU3 residents.

“From what we understand, it will have three exits – to Lebuh Bandar Utama (near 1 Utama Shopping Centre’s Old Wing), Tengkat Bandar Utama (near Central Park) and Persiaran Surian (near SMK Bandar Utama 4).”

“We were only able to obtain some information on the dispersal link from our neighbours at BU2, after a briefing was held for them about five months ago,” said Lai.

He added that a majority of BU3 residents were against the dispersal link for several reasons.

“There has been no public consultation or briefings by the developer or Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) with BU3 residents, no notice on project details such as project owner or construction duration was provided, and no announcement on mitigating plans to address the expected traffic problems during construction stage.

“Residents are also worried about the air, noise and dust pollution during the construction stage and when the link is opened, which would impact our quality of living,” said Lai.

In addition, residents were concerned about the project’s impact on traffic in their neighbourhood.

“BU3, BU4 and BU6 residents put up with traffic jam along Tengkat Bandar Utama, which can stretch up to 120m during peak hours.

“We often find it difficult to exit and enter Tengkat Bandar Utama because motorists speed along Dataran Bandar Utama.

“Our repeated appeals to the developer to install traffic lights at the Tengkat Bandar Utama and Dataran Bandar Utama intersection, as well as requests for yellow boxes and speed bumps at the Jalan BU3/2, Jalan BU4/6 and Jalan BU6/1 junctions have not received any response.”

Late last month, residents along Jalan BU3/2 received letters from a surveyor firm wanting to carry out pre-construction condition survey on their houses.

“The residents were reluctant to let them inspect and take photographs of their houses as they didn’t recognise the authority they carried to do such work,” said Lai, adding that the residents were worried that the project’s piling works could impact the structure of their houses.

The BU3 neighbourhood has 414 houses with more than 2,000 residents.

When contacted, a representative from Bandar Utama City Corporation (BUCC) said MBPJ had carried out consultations with residents on the project before giving its approval.

“Several residents, whose houses face Dataran Bandar Utama, attended with the Bandar Utama Residents Association (Bura),” he said, adding that it was misleading for PPBU3 to state the contrary.

“All necessary traffic diversion plans have also been agreed to with the authorities.

“The elevated road was the result of traffic impact studies carried out by the developer due to the MRT station’s location at the junction of the LDP and Persiaran Bandar Utama, which is the main entrance to Bandar Utama.”

To alleviate traffic arising from the MRT station, especially the expected illegal double/triple-parking along Persiaran Bandar Utama by motorists for drop-off and pick-up, BUCC said it sacrificed prime commercial space on the 1Powerhouse ground floor for pick-up/drop-off, as well as bus and taxi terminals.

“Without the elevated road, traffic volume at the junction of Persiaran Bandar Utama and Dataran Bandar Utama would increase.

“The elevated road is located as far away as possible from the residential side facing Dataran Bandar Utama,” said the representative.

“Our contractor carried out dilapidation assessment on houses facing Dataran Bandar Utama before construction of the elevated road.

“Unfortunately, many property owners were not cooperative and disallowed the dilapidation assessment to be conducted.

“We understand MBPJ is organising another session with residents to allow us to further update residents on the project’s progress.

“We will only communicate with Bura as there are many sub-groups and we are not able to determine the authenticity of various groups claiming to represent different grouping and this may lead to confusion, miscommunication and disarray,” he said.