M’sian Minister Says 3rd Johor-S’pore Link Needed To Ease Traffic; Adds That Tunnel Is Also An Option

Talk about the Johor-S’pore link, and you can’t forget to mention about the RTS that wouldn’t be built until 2320, and the jams along the way.

And it would seem like the topic is up in the air again, this time going back to a possible third Johor-S’pore linkway.

So Malaysian Cabinet minister Muhyiddin Yassin says to build a bridge, but if it’s not an actual bridge, a tunnel also works.

Federal Government Has Been Informed

According to an article on 25 November 2019 by Malaysia Today, Muhyiddin, who chairs a Special Committee on Congestion at the Johor Causeway, says that he had already informed the federal government about the need for the construction of the bridge.

“If the state government supports I will ensure this initiative (the construction of a third link) will be started.”

Preliminary studies had already been conducted to show the need to build a third bridge.

If it’s not a bridge, a tunnel across the Straits of Tebrau also works.

“Before we used to have only one bridge (Johor–Singapore Causeway), then we had two bridges (Johor Causeway and Malaysia-Singapore Second Link) and now these two can no longer cope (with the congestion).”

Johor’s CIQ complex, which was built in 2003, will reach their full capacity next year. An expansion of the area would not do much in alleviating congestion at the causeway.

That sounds like something at first. But is it really though? Because this third link sounds being a tunnel sounds really familiar.

Third Link Was Talked About Before

Back in 1 April 2019, it seems like a third link was already talked about before. It even sounds really similar too, also that it can be in the form of a tunnel instead.

“It could be an undersea tunnel or railway link, which seems feasible as we already have the system. See what is feasible, effective and that could bring maximum benefit,” said former Transport Ministry Secretary-General Ramon Navaratnam in an interview with the New Straits Times.

And then back in August 2018, a third link was also teased before by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

If we go back to the statements by Muhyiddin, you’ll realise that no concrete plans are out yet.

But I guess, we’re still on schedule for the congestion to be eased in the year 2320. Really, nothing changed here.