Bill for Kidex likely to soar to RM3.4b
The original RM2.4 billion tag on the proposed highway did not take into account the cost of acquiring the land mostly in the urban areas, claims an assemblywoman
Fabian Comelius, Free Malaysia Today
The proposed Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) is expected to cost more than RM3 billion, and not the original price tag of RM2.4 billion.
“To construct Kidex, it would cost more that RM3.1 billion to RM3.4 billion,” Damansara Utama assemblywoman Yeo Bee Yin said.
According to her calculations, if the 14.9-km highway is to be constructed, it will cost RM161 million to build one km of the stretch. This would eventually come up to RM3.1 billion to RM3.4 billion.
She claimed the the highway would incur the highest construction cost per km for tolled roads in the country.
She also said the RM2.4 billion price tag did not take into account the cost of acquiring land.
Based on the current market value, Yeo said the land along the proposed alignment would cost about RM700 million to RM1 billion.
“Land acquisition on such a large scale will push the cost.”
She said based on the Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIA), some 290 lots of land totalling 15.15 hectares would have to be acquired for Kidex.
