Muar Bypass (Malay: Jalan Pintasan Muar), or Federal Route 224, is a major highway bypass and the first highway built in Bandar Maharani Muar, a royal town in Johor, Malaysia. The 13.8 km (8.6 mi) highway bypass linking Parit Bunga in the northwest to Parit Sakai in the southeast.[1] The Kilometre Zero of the Federal Route 224 starts at Parit Sakai junctions.

Federal Route 224 shield}}
Federal Route 224
Muar Bypass
Route information
Length13.88 km (8.62 mi)
Existed2002–present
HistoryCompleted in 2005
Major junctions
Beltway around Bandar Maharani Muar
North endParit Bunga
Major intersections FT 5 FT 19 Lebuh AMJ
FT 23 Federal Route 23
J62 Jalan Bakar Batu
J60 Jalan Ismail Desa
J24 Jalan Salleh
J32 Jalan Muar–Labis
J-- Jalan Sungai Abong
FT 24 Federal Route 24
J-- Jalan Dato' Hj Kosai
J31 Jalan Parit Jawa
FT 5 Federal Route 5
South endParit Sakai
Location
CountryMalaysia
Primary
destinations
Pagoh
Yong Peng
Parit Jawa
Batu Pahat
Highway system
Muar Second Bridge on Muar Bypass.

History

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Between the 1990s and the 2000s, traffic congestion was prevalent at the Sultan Ismail Bridge and Muar town centre since the official opening of the North–South Expressway Southern Route between Ayer Keroh and Pagoh and the opening of the Tangkak and Pagoh Interchange on 1 April 1989. To this end, in 1998, the federal government announced that the new second bridge would be built at Parit Bunga to ease congestion on the existing bridge. In addition, a new bypass linking Parit Bunga to Parit Sakai would be built.

The Public Works Department of Malaysia (JKR) and the main contractor Ranhill Bersekutu Sdn Bhd Co began construction of the bypass in 2002.[2] The second bridge and the bypass were opened to traffic in 2004, while the rest of the project was completed in 2005.

In 2008, the highway was gazetted as the federal roads by JKR as Federal Route 224.

Project highlights

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Construction of a 632-metre landmark single-plane semi harp cable-stayed bridge with a 132-metre mid-span across Muar River and a 13-kilometre road bypassing the town of Muar inclusive of one Parit Bunga Interchange.

This project had two key briefs:-

  • to alleviate traffic congestion in the Muar area by constructing a major bypass road with an elevated interchange over the existing junction.
  • to design and build a landmark bridge across Muar River.

The project involved Ranhill Bersekutu Sdn Bhd Co undertaking the engineering, design, construction, engineering, and environmental impact assessments and controls. Creativity was the key to the bridge design, with a need for aesthetic as well as functional considerations. With the rapid growth in the region, the bridge is set to become a defining feature of the local landscape, and had to be designed with this level of impact in mind. The result is a spectacular structure that is sympathetic to its surroundings, taking into account various environmental aspects. Use of new technology, combined with the unique method of construction - a cast-in-situ bridge deck segmental box girder – using the traveler formworks has increased ease of construction, minimised use of materials and proved to be cost-effective.

At the same time, the construction of the 13 kilometre bypass road also includes seven grade signalised intersections and five grade unsignalised junctions, cross culverts and drainage, as well as an elevated interchange over the existing junction. Ranhill also conducted a separate traffic study to ensure that the needs of the local community were being fully met.

With construction taking place within a mangrove area, the bridge and the earthworks for the road construction is carefully monitored through a specific government-approved environmental management plan, with the objective of retaining as much of the natural surroundings as possible.

Features

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The main feature of the bypass is the Muar Second Bridge. Other features include a pedestrian bridge and the Parit Bunga complex interchange, which is the first of its kind in Muar. The bypass is a 4-lane carriageway with reserves land for future widening and construction of new interchanges.

At most sections, the Federal Route 224 was built under the JKR R5 road standard, allowing maximum speed limit of up to 90 km/h.

List of junctions and interchanges

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Legend:


Km Exit Interchange/Junctions To Remarks
  FT 224
0
11 Parit Sakai Junctions   FT 5 Jalan Abdul Rahman

Northwest
  FT 5 Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre)
(Royal Town)
  FT 5 Tanjung Emas

Southeast
  FT 5 Parit Jawa
  FT 5 Batu Pahat
  FT 5 Pontian
  FT 1 Johor Bahru
  FT 95 Kukup
T-junctions
  FT 224 Muar Bypass
Start/End of Highway
10 Jalan Temenggong Ahmad Junctions  J31 Jalan Temenggong Ahmad

Northwest
Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre)
(ROYAL TOWN)

Southeast
Parit Bakar
Parit Jawa
Batu Pahat
Junctions
9 Jalan Dato' Haji Kosai Junctions  J-- Jalan Dato' Haji Kosai

Southeast
Parit Bakar Darat
Parit Jawa
Junctions
8 Simpang Jeram Junctions   FT 24 Jalan Muar–Yong Peng

WEST
  FT 24 Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre)
(Royal Town)

East
  FT 24 Bakri
  FT 24 Parit Sulong
  FT 24 Yong Peng
Junctions
Sungai Abong Bridge
Parit Keliling Sungai Abong Bridge
Start/End of bridge
Sungai Abong Bridge
Sungai Abong Bridge
Parit Keliling Sungai Abong Bridge
Start/End of bridge
7 Sungai Abong Junctions  J-- Jalan Sungai Abong

West
Sungai Abong
Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) district branch office
Junctions
6 Kampung Tengah Junctions  J-- Jalan Kampung Tengah

Southwest
Kampung Tengah
Sungai Abong
Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) district branch office
Junctions
5 Jalan Sungai Abong Baru Junctions  J-- Jalan Sungai Abong Baru

South
 J-- Jalan Sungai Abong
Sungai Abong
Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) district branch office
Junctions
    BHPetrol Layby          
Sungai Runtong bridge
4 Temiang Junctions  J-- Jalan Utama 1

South
Taman Temiang Utama
Jalan Kim Kee
Junctions
3B Bukit Treh Junctions West
 J24 Jalan Salleh
 J24 Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre)
(Royal Town)

East
 J32 Jalan Muar–Labis
 J32 Labis
 J32 Bukit Kepong
 J32 Pagoh
 J32 Bukit Pasir
Bandar Universiti Pagoh  
   North–South Expressway Southern Route   AH2 North–South Expressway Southern Route
Kuala Lumpur
Melaka
Johor Bahru
Junctions
3A Jalan Bukit Treh Exit Jalan Bukit Treh

North
Kampung Bukit Treh
From Melaka only
2 Jalan Ismail Desa Junctions  J60 Jalan Ismail Desa

South
Jalan Bakariah
Medan Ikan Bakar Sabak Awor    
(Sabak Awor fish grill spot)
Junctions
    Caltex Layby          
1 Bakar Batu Junctions  J62 Jalan Bakar Batu

South
Jalan Bakariah
Medan Ikan Bakar Sabak Awor    
(Sabak Awor fish grill spot)
Junctions
    Petronas Layby           Melaka bound
Sungai Muar bridge
Muar Second Bridge
632 m
Muar River
Start/End of bridge
موار
Muar
Sungai Muar bridge
Muar Second Bridge
632 m
Muar River
Muar–Tangkak district border
تڠكق
Tangkak
0 Sungai Muar bridge
Muar Second Bridge
632 m
Muar River
Parit Bunga Interchange
North
  FT 23 Sungai Mati
  FT 23 Tangkak
  FT 23 Jementah
  FT 23 Segamat
 J33 Bukit Gambir
  FT 23 Gunung Ledang
   North–South Expressway Southern Route   AH2 North–South Expressway Southern Route
Kuala Lumpur
Melaka
Johor Bahru

South
  FT 5 Jalan Kesang
  FT 5 Tanjung Agas
  FT 5 Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre)
(Royal Town)
Half-diamond interchange with ramp to Tangkak
Start/End of bridge
  FT 224 Muar Bypass
  FT 5   FT 19 Lebuh AMJ
Northwest
  FT 19   FT 5 Lebuh AMJ
  FT 19 Melaka
  FT 144 Merlimau
  FT 144 Jasin
Continued to original route   FT 5

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Statistik Jalan (Edisi 2013). Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Public Works Department. 2013. pp. 16–64. ISSN 1985-9619.
  2. ^ JOHOR MENTERI BESAR VISITS MUAR BYPASS 14 August 2002, Media Relations and Event Management, Bernama