JOHOR BAHRU – Road users in Johor Bahru’s city centre should brace themselves for more traffic congestion in the second and third quarters of the year as the construction of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link reaches its peak, said the city’s mayor, Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman.

He said many roads are expected to be closed from April to September to make way for the ongoing cross-border rail construction project that will link Johor Bahru and Singapore when it is completed by end-2026.

“This will no doubt affect the already heavy traffic congestion, but it cannot be avoided. Rest assured, we are looking at ways to address the situation,” he said after launching a residential project in Ulu Tiram town on Jan 30.

Traffic snarls on roads such as Jalan Abdullah Ibrahim, Jalan Tebrau and Jalan Wong Ah Fook near the City Square mall in downtown Johor Bahru are common these days because of the ongoing construction and high vehicle volume.

Mr Noorazam added that the city council is in talks with rail operator KTM to improve connectivity once the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track (EDT) project is completed by 2025.

“Similar to the RTS Link, we want to provide passengers with good connectivity after arriving at the station, to bring people to the suburban areas and vice versa using public transport and park-and-ride facilities,” he added.

The Gemas-JB EDT will link JB Sentral station to the electrified train service station in the Negeri Sembilan town of Gemas, shortening train journeys between Johor and Kuala Lumpur Sentral to 3½ hours. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK