BY BRENDA CH’NG

Construction of covered monsoon drains and road-widening works that are ongoing in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. Once they are completed, there will be proper pavement walkways with landscaping to beautify the path

RESIDENTS and business owners will have to bear with the disruption caused by construction work at Petaling Jaya’s Section 17 commercial square for another six months.

Road upgrading works are taking place along Jalan 17/27, Jalan 17/29, Jalan 17/38 and Jalan 17/44, making conditions even worse at the already congested area.

Roads in the area are partially being closed for the construction of covered monsoon drains, new walkways and road widening for an ongoing mixed development project comprising serviced apartments and retail lots.

Section 17 resident Dragon Pang Hee Long who has lived in the area since 1994, avoids driving to the commercial area because the construction work has reduced parking in the area even further.

“I would rather walk or cycle from my house,” said Pang who lives at Jalan 17/46.

He said before the upgrading works, buses would always get stuck at the Jalan 17/38 and Jalan 17/29 intersection, forcing residents to help direct traffic so the buses could go through.

“After part of Jalan 17/38 was covered and resurfaced, the congestion has reduced.

“I hardly see buses stuck there anymore but I hope the works can be better planned,” he said.

Section 17 morning market chairman Low Chun Foo said business had dwindled and some traders have decided to close shop.

“Parking was already limited and with the current road upgrading works, it has become worse because certain stretches are closed for construction,” he said.

Low said traders operating food stalls had to throw away more food than what they sold due to the drop in customers.

There have also been complaints of utility poles and parking meters situated in the middle of the road after the upgrade.

Some of the poles are blocking the parking bays while others are located behind the lots instead of being in front.

During a site visit, Bukit Gasing assemblyman R. Rajiv said the developer was asked to close parts of the road at any one time to minimise disruption.

When contacted, the developer’s public relations consultant Shalini Sockalingam said they were aware of unhappiness over the lack of parking and would try to complete the upgrading project as soon as possible.

“We are on schedule as we started work on the monsoon drain along Jalan 17/38 on March 22 and this as well as the drain along Jalan 17/27 are completed,” she said.

She said work should be completed by year-end and asked stakeholders to be patient.

“After the upgrading is completed, the area should be less congested and will have more parking bays,” she said, adding there would be 30 new parking bays, in addition to the existing 99 bays.