Watch this video documentation of the part of the bicycle lane (now a de facto motorcycle lane) along the Federal Highway near Midvalley/Bangsar South that has been closed since 2016 or 2017. Now, 8 years later (Feb 2024), the path seems to be in the process of being re-established. This is great news, as it make bicycle commuting from Kuala Lumpur and all the way to Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang a realistic option once again, hereby, fully taking advantage of this 40 km continuous piece of bicycle infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.

Highlights from the video, where I bicycle from Kuala Lumpur towards PJ, include:
0:00 Map showing the bicycle path segments that still need repair / maintenance before it can re-open
0:19 Full map of bicycle lane along the Federal Highway (37 km). Combined with the bicycle lane along the River of Life to Kuala Lumpur, this gives a bicycle corridor of about 40 km length.
1:34 Entering the blocked bicycle path under construction. NB. I went on a Sunday, so no active construction was ongoing
1:59 Comparative photo to last year: Bicycle path has been re-established. Hurray!
2:57 Quote by G. Ramasamy, who took part in the construction of the Federal Highway in the 1970s: "To keep bicycles off the carriageway, we built bicycle tracks" (Source: New Straits Times, 2009/02/08)
3:15 Crossing the Klang River
3:46 Point where bicyclists and motorcycles are forced onto the Federal Highway
4:17 Flooded underpass no. 1
4:47 Entering the water, which almost goes up to my waist!
7:37 Selfie at the deepest point in the flooded tunnel
8:13 Continuing the journey on the other side of the flooded underpass
9:00 Hitting a dirt trail
9:36 Narrow stretch; need proper paving and fencing to make safe
10:05 Gravel path ready to get paved
12:11 Path has a layer of soil on top, after not being in use for almost 8 years
12:35 Parked car on path. And a rat running away!
12:56 Flooded underpass no. 2 (under University Station)
13:25 Continuing the journey on the other side of the flooded underpass
14:41 Summary of findings.

Not too much work is required to re-open the bicycle path again. I would say that mid 2024 should be a realistic timeline. What do you think?

Enjoy!

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Related videos and invormation:

1) #06 - Federal Highway Bicycle Lane Commute with Eugene (23.5 km) from Petaling Jaya to Shah Alam (year 2023)
   • #06 - Federal Highway Bicycle Lane  C...  

2) Mid Valley to Dataran Merdeka 5km South West Bicycle Corridor (year 2015)
   • Mid Valley to Dataran Merdeka 5km Sou...  

3) Information from the Federal Highway Wikipedia page:
"The motorcycle lanes were originally intended for bicycle riders, with the design speed limit as low as 60 km/h."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal...)

4) Newspaper article with builder of the Federal Highway (NST):
"To keep cyclists off the carriageway, we built cycle tracks but I see they are now used by motorcyclists" Mr. G. RAMASAMY
https://web.archive.org/web/200904101...

#bicycle #commuting #bicyclecommute #federalhighway #bromptonsociety
Malay: Lebuhraya Persekutuan, Chinese: 联邦大道, abbreviation: FH2

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