KOTA BHARU (Oct 20): The construction of the Kota Bharu-Kuala Krai Highway is expected to address the problem of traffic congestion in the state especially during the school holidays and festivals.

Frequent Gua Musang-Kota Bharu commuter, Adnan Ahmad, 47, said with the new highway, people could enjoy a more comfortable and shorter journey.

“Normally, by using the existing road I would take at least three hours from Gua Musang to Kota Bharu. If this highway project is fully completed I expect the journey to be shorter, maybe cut it down to just two hours.

“At the moment, it only takes me about fifteen minutes from Kadok to Kota Bharu using the highway," he told Bernama when met here today.

He said the facility would also prevent commuters from getting trapped while plying the road during floods.

Meanwhile, another highway user Mohd Azuan Ab Rahman, 30, said once the construction work of the highway from Kadok to Wakaf Che Yeh was completed, he would only take about half an hour to return to his mother’s home in Selising.

“Usually I get caught in traffic congestion at several junctions heading to Kota Bharu before arriving at my in-law’s house near Kota Bharu. With the completion of this highway we will be more comfortable while driving and I can easily commute from Kota Bharu to Selising,”he said.

He also described the facility provided by the federal government as a blessing to the people of Kelantan as there were no highways in Kelantan.

The 61.4 kilometres (km) Kota Bharu-Kuala Krai Highway project is one of the high-impact projects provided by the federal government to Kelantan in stages since the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).

The project is currently entering its 2A package, from Kadok to Ketereh (6.75 km) following the completion of the 1B package (Pasir Hor to Kadok) in July last year.