5 Major Benefits of WCE Highway

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5 Major Benefits Brought by the New Expressway

The West Coast Expressway (WCE), designated as road E32, is a highway that connects Selangor and Perak. It starts in Banting in southern Selangor and extends to Taiping in Perak.

This expressway spans a total length of 233 kilometers. In its design, the West Coast Expressway intentionally connects with several major existing highways, maximizing its coverage and providing road users with more route options. It is renowned as a highly efficient and strategically planned expressway.

Due to its excellent connectivity and as an alternative route to the North-South Expressway, industry insiders are optimistic about the strong future prospects of industries along the WCE.

Tan Jianming, the Deputy Director of Raine & Horne International Zaki + Partners, in an exclusive interview with Nanyang Siang Pau, stated that accessibility drives economic development.

He, who has deeply studied how domestic highways stimulate development along their routes, pointed out that the targeted connections of the West Coast Expressway have had a tremendous impact on the people and businesses along its path.

Tan Jianming discusses the importance of the West Coast Expressway connecting with other major highways. (Nanyang Siang Pau).

Accessibility

This is because such connectivity enhances the highway network’s accessibility, reducing congestion, speeding up the movement of goods and people, promoting economic development, and thereby improving the quality of life.

At least six highways connect with the West Coast Expressway, namely the North-South Expressway (PLUS), North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), New North Klang Strait Bypass (NNKSB), Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), and Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS).

According to the official website of the West Coast Expressway, as of the 2nd of last month, all four sections in Perak, namely sections 8, 9, 10, and 11, are 100% completed and open to traffic.

The progress of the seven construction sections in Selangor is as follows: sections 5 and 6 are 100% complete, sections 1 and 4 are 99%, section 2 is 98%, section 3 is 85%, and section 7 is 70%.

From years of research, Tan Jianming has derived a principle regarding accessibility.

“Accessibility means the ease of travel between two places, which can be measured by four major factors: Distance, Cost, Time, and Convenience, abbreviated as DCTC.”

The West Coast Expressway, connecting Banting in Selangor to Changkat Jering (outskirts of Taiping) in Perak, is of significant importance. Once fully operational, it will act like a gateway, opening up the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia to the people, and will also influence future land development, population growth, economic and employment growth, car ownership, traffic flow, and the value of time.

Perhaps everyone will ask, since the North-South Expressway already has the function of traversing the west coast of each state and opening the gateway to the west coast, why is there a need for another West Coast Expressway to serve as an alternative route, carrying the same mission?

Tan Jianming said that during festive periods, the entire 772-kilometer-long North-South Expressway experiences traffic saturation to overflow, and is actually overused, causing traffic congestion.

For example, the journey from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh, which normally takes just over 2 hours, can be extended to 5 hours due to high traffic volume. If you continue north to Alor Setar or Penang, it is not surprising that it takes 10 hours.

Easing North-South Expressway Congestion

Therefore, the West Coast Expressway is a remedy for easing congestion on the North-South Expressway, as it can shorten distances in many areas, reduce transportation costs, save time, and bring convenience.

Taking Pangkor Island in Perak as an example, if using the North-South Expressway to get there, after exiting the highway, one would still need to drive an hour on the federal road to reach the Lumut jetty, then take a ferry to Pangkor Island.

If using the West Coast Expressway, one could head there from exits like Lekir, Sitiawan, Sitiawan North, or Changkat Jering, saving the federal road segment.

“Looking back at after the North-South Expressway was opened, two towns that directly benefited are Bukit Beruntung and Lembah Beringin in Selangor. The industrial industries in nearby areas, such as the UMW HVM Integrated Development Park in Sungai Buaya and the International Furniture City and Logistics Hub Center (S

IFC) in Sungai Buaya, as well as many economic activities in the northern region, have been activated.”

The industrial industry value in these areas has increased by 7 to 10 times due to the North-South Expressway. For example, in Bukit Beruntung, over 10 to 15 years, the price of industrial property rose from 7 ringgits per square foot to 50 to 70 ringgits per square foot.

Property Value Increase
Economic Benefits for Selangor and Perak

It can be foreseen that the West Coast Expressway will have a positive impact on the industries and tourism along the route, and Selangor and Perak will directly benefit. The benefits for the two states of Selangor and Perak can be seen from both micro and macro perspectives.

On a micro level, property developers and investors investing in strategic projects near the expressway exits or junctions are expected to see a large increase in property demand in the area after the completion of the West Coast Expressway, and property values will rise, thereby achieving considerable investment returns.

From a macro perspective, the impact generated by the West Coast Expressway goes beyond individual property interests, as it is sufficient to enhance connectivity in various places, attract and solicit investments, create job opportunities, and stimulate economic growth in areas along the expressway, thereby contributing to the overall economy of Selangor and Perak.

Properties along the West Coast Expressway can be divided into residential and non-residential sub-sectors, with non-residential further divided into industrial properties, commercial properties, hotel properties, etc.

Whether in towns or suburbs, residential demand in areas along the expressway will greatly increase. Commuters will have an additional option to live in residential areas near the expressway, commuting to and from work locations, schools, or public facilities.

Business enterprises may increase interest in the industrial areas near the West Coast Expressway, because the expressway improves logistics efficiency, attracting more investment to establish industrial and manufacturing bases. They can use the improved transportation network for logistics and distribution, thereby promoting economic growth and job opportunities in the areas along the expressway.

Shopping Centers and Office Buildings Expected to Increase

The development of industrial areas may raise the visibility of the area in people’s eyes, attracting more people to the area. One of the chain effects generated by the increased flow of people is to attract businesses and consumers to come. Therefore, commercial properties along the West Coast Expressway, such as shopping centers and office buildings, are expected to increase.

In addition to industrial parks, shopping malls, and office buildings, the tourism industry in Selangor and Perak will also benefit from the good road connectivity of the West Coast Expressway.

It is predictable that the West Coast Expressway will improve the accessibility of tourist attractions, bringing convenience to tourists, and the increase in tourists will drive the development of hotels, resorts, and dining industries along the expressway.

New Expressway Brings 5 Major Benefits

Tan Jianming said that the West Coast Expressway can bring 5 major benefits. First, it improves transportation convenience, promoting accessibility in cities, suburbs, and rural areas, making it more convenient for people to travel, which can drive economic activity, improve local employment opportunities, entertainment and leisure, and amenities.

Secondly, the West Coast Expressway is purposefully designed to connect various main highways in West Malaysia, and such design will greatly stimulate industries along the West Coast Expressway, promoting economic corridor growth. Residential projects, business centers, and industrial parks often emerge due to convenient transportation and increased visibility.

Third, the expressway greatly reduces traffic travel time between areas, promoting regional commercial trade, tourism, and infrastructure construction, accelerating the circulation of goods and services, and promoting economic and community interconnection.

Fourth, the construction and maintenance of the expressway can improve infrastructure, including the establishment of new road networks, bridges, and public facilities. These hardware facilities are catalysts for the continuous growth and attraction of investment activities in the surrounding areas.

Fifth, based on the improvement of transportation convenience and road connectivity, properties along the expressway often appreciate in value, and whether it is for owners or investors, high returns are expected over time.

𝗪𝗖𝗘 带旺沿线产业

西海岸大道（𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝗪𝗖𝗘），是一条连贯着雪兰莪和霹雳的高速公路。从雪州南部的万津 (Banting) 开始，一直延伸至霹雳太平 (Taiping).

…产业发展商和投资者在大道出口或交接路口一带投资策略性的项目，预计在 WCE 竣工之后，该区域的产业需求大增，产业价值跟着上升，便可实现可观的投资回酬.

WCE 带来 5️ 大好处: