Do you know the story behind the Setapak Tunnel? The one which sits oddly under the road in front of the Setapak Police Station and approachable via Jalan Gombak if you want to go to KL city?
In the 70s, this tunnel had not yet existed. Jalan Gombak meets Jalan Pahang at a T-junction with traffic lights. As development came to the upper reaches of Jalan Gombak and Jalan Genting Kelang, backlogs became the norm. Then sometime in the 80s, work was given to a concessionaire to improve traffic along both Jalan Gombak, Jalan Pahang and Jalan Genting Kelang.
The tunnel was built, the traffic lights removed, and when the new upgraded road was opened, a toll booth was set up at Jalan Pahang near the Jalan Pekeliling roundabout, just opposite Tawakal Hospital. Toll was collected by the concessionaire for all traffic heading towards town - first 50 sen, then more. The reason: the concessionaire had spent money on upgrading the road. Traffic going home however, was not tolled.
After collecting for more than a decade, 12 years if memory serves me right, the toll booth was demolished. This is the reason why you find Jalan Pahang, which is two lane, opens widely to join the Pekeliling roundabout in front of Tawakal.
2 comments:
i think the construction of the tunnel and the sketch of Jalan Pahang started in late 80s to early 90s. That time all the dead shop in Jalan Pahang is still exist as there is parking along the road site. However the road been extend to 3 lane and all the shop have close down 1 by 1 till today there only few left.
Rightly said, OOi. But say what you want, the road is not expandable now unless the old shops at left and right of Jalan Pahang via Setapak town is demolished. Maybe then the road will be wide enough to contain traffic from upstream.
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