BY JAROD LIM
Petaling Jaya: RESIDENTS are up in arms over the May 6 closure of the Jalan Damanseri bridge link in Kuala Lumpur, which connects Jalan Damansara with Jalan Damanlela.
Asking that it be reopened to traffic, they said the road that had been there for about 30 years, was a vital access for Damansara Heights residents.
Persiaran Jelutong resident Chua Ying Ying, who initiated a press conference with the affected residents, said there had been no prior notice on the closure of the bridge link.
“A notice was put up by a private developer by the roadside and when we enquired about it, the developer’s contractor claimed that there was approval from the Malaysian Highway Authority.
The notice states that the road closure is to facilitate the redevelopment of Pusat Bandar Damansara and that the bridge link would be demolished.
It also states that the closure is part of a one-month trial period and the closure is “indefinite”.
Chua said without the bridge link, residents travelling home to Damansara Heights from Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur would need to do a huge loop.
“Residents will be redirected to the Sprint Highway and Jalan Damanlela which are often congested.
“We aim to collect 1,000 signatures from affected stakeholders and send a petition to the Federal Territories Ministry, DBKL and the Public Complaints Bureau,” Chua said, adding that residents hoped the road would be reopened for the time being.
Closure of the Jalan Damanseri bridge link forces Damansara Heights residents travelling from Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya to do a full loop to get home.
The residents also claimed that Jalan Damanseri was a public road and the notice of closure should come from DBKL.
HELP University student Milly Tanzina Chowdhury from Bangladesh said she usually took about 10 minutes to walk to the university.
“But with the road closure, I can no longer use Jalan Damanseri to cross the Sprint Highway to reach my university,” she said, adding that she now had to factor in additional cost of taxi fare in her spending.
Bukit Damansara House Owners Association treasurer Ravi Markandu said the plot ratio for Pusat Bandar Damansara was supposed to be 1:4, but it has been increased to 1:10.5.
“This is all because of the failure to gazette the Kuala Lumpur City Draft Plan 2020 (KLCDP 2020).
“If the plan had been gazetted, the development would not take place and the road would not be closed, affecting those living and working nearby,” he said.
At the press conference attended by about 20 residents yesterday, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, who was also present, said this was one of the side-effects of not having the KLCDP 2020 gazetted.
“If the plan is gazetted, development projects can only be built in specific zones.
“The residents will push for a public hearing on that road with DBKL,” he added.
When contacted, a DBKL spokesman said the matter would be looked into.
The developer could not be reached for comment at press time.
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