Muar Bypass

Template:Short description Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherTemplate:Main otherTemplate:Main otherTemplate:Main other Muar Bypass (Template:Langx), 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 Template:Convert highway bypass linking Parit Bunga in the northwest to Parit Sakai in the southeast. The Kilometre Zero of the Federal Route 224 starts at Parit Sakai junctions.

File:Jambatanmuarkedua.jpg

Muar Second Bridge on Muar Bypass.

History

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. 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

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

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

Km	Exit	Interchange/Junctions	To	Remarks
Template:JKR 0	11	Parit Sakai Junctions	Template:JKR Jalan Abdul Rahman Northwest Template:JKR Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre) (Royal Town) Template:JKR Tanjung Emas Southeast Template:JKR Parit Jawa Template:JKR Batu Pahat Template:JKR Pontian Template:JKR Johor Bahru Template:JKR Kukup	T-junctions
Template:JKR Muar Bypass Start/End of Highway
	10	Jalan Temenggong Ahmad Junctions	Template:JKR(J) 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	Template:JKR(J) Jalan Dato' Haji Kosai Southeast Parit Bakar Darat Parit Jawa	Junctions
	8	Simpang Jeram Junctions	Template:JKR Jalan Muar–Yong Peng WEST Template:JKR Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre) (Royal Town) East Template:JKR Bakri Template:JKR Parit Sulong Template:JKR 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	Template:JKR(J) Jalan Sungai Abong West Sungai Abong Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) district branch office	Junctions
	6	Kampung Tengah Junctions	Template:JKR(J) Jalan Kampung Tengah Southwest Kampung Tengah Sungai Abong Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) district branch office	Junctions
	5	Jalan Sungai Abong Baru Junctions	Template:JKR(J) Jalan Sungai Abong Baru South Template:JKR(J) Jalan Sungai Abong Sungai Abong Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) district branch office	Junctions
		Template:Parking signs Template:Petrol station signs BHPetrol Layby	Template:Parking signs Template:Petrol station signs Template:Toilet sign Template:Surau sign Template:ATM sign
		Sungai Runtong bridge
	4	Temiang Junctions	Template:JKR(J) Jalan Utama 1 South Taman Temiang Utama Jalan Kim Kee	Junctions
	3B	Bukit Treh Junctions	West Template:JKR(J) Jalan Salleh Template:JKR(J) Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre) (Royal Town) East Template:JKR(J) Jalan Muar–Labis Template:JKR(J) Labis Template:JKR(J) Bukit Kepong Template:JKR(J) Pagoh Template:JKR(J) Bukit Pasir Bandar Universiti Pagoh Template:University sign Template:Jct Template:Jct 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	Template:JKR(J) Jalan Ismail Desa South Jalan Bakariah Medan Ikan Bakar Sabak Awor Template:Food court sign Template:Recreation area sign (Sabak Awor fish grill spot)	Junctions
		Template:Parking signs Template:Petrol station signs Caltex Layby	Template:Parking signs Template:Petrol station signs Template:Toilet sign Template:Surau sign Template:ATM sign
	1	Bakar Batu Junctions	Template:JKR(J) Jalan Bakar Batu South Jalan Bakariah Medan Ikan Bakar Sabak Awor Template:Food court sign Template:Recreation area sign (Sabak Awor fish grill spot)	Junctions
		Template:Parking signs Template:Petrol station signs Petronas Layby	Template:Parking signs Template:Petrol station signs Template:Toilet sign Template:Surau sign Template:ATM sign	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 Template:JKR Sungai Mati Template:JKR Tangkak Template:JKR Jementah Template:JKR Segamat Template:JKR(J) Bukit Gambir Template:JKR Gunung Ledang Template:Jct Template:Jct North–South Expressway Southern Route Kuala Lumpur Melaka Johor Bahru South Template:JKR Jalan Kesang Template:JKR Tanjung Agas Template:JKR Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja (Town Centre) (Royal Town)	Half-diamond interchange with ramp to Tangkak Start/End of bridge
Template:JKR Muar Bypass
Template:JKR Template:JKR Lebuh AMJ
			Northwest Template:JKR Template:JKR Lebuh AMJ Template:JKR Melaka Template:JKR Merlimau Template:JKR Jasin	Continued to original route Template:JKR

See also

• Malaysian Federal Roads system
• Muar

References

• Muar Bypass on Ranhill Berhad