Love Penang But Hate The Drive There? This Expressway Will Get You There Faster By Skipping Ipoh!

When it comes to interstate vacations, we all know Penang is where it’s at. With a great selection of mouthwatering food and cultural heritage spots, it’s one of the best states to go to for a long weekend of eating and relaxing. While we love the state, we dread the near 5-hour journey of driving there (sometimes longer if you’re stuck in a traffic jam). But when this newly-built expressway is completed, it looks like those trips are going to be much shorter and convenient!

While the West Coast Expressway (WEC) started being constructed back in 2014, multiple delays have postponed its expected year of completion from 2019 to 2022. While it may be a while before the whole 233km-long strip is completed, some parts of the Expressway are already available for use! Malaysians can visit opened sections like Teluk Intan and Beruas. According to the Star, here are the roads that have been completed so far:

The Expressway was said to connect from Banting, Selangor to Taiping, Perak, without the need of having to pass through Ipoh which saves quite a big chunk of time on the road. However, this may differ from where you choose to travel from as some netizens have pointed out that the journey times vary for those driving from the Klang Valley.

Aside from being a neat shortcut, the West Coast Expressway also provides a scenic alternative to the usually congested routes that many of us use to get to Penang. Just look at some of these shots from Facebook page, Info Sungai Petani! These aesthetic roads are sure to make the journey a smooth and easy drive.

Once the project is finally done, WCE is expected to connect most of the major Expressways (North-South Expressway, South Klang Valley Expressway, North Klang Valley Expressway and Shah Alam Expressway) to make it easier for all drivers planning to make the commute up north, say reports from NST.

Hopefully, the construction will be done soon so we won’t have to sit through the long traffic jams again! Would you guys use this Expressway? 

Also read: AirAsia: More Flights to Langkawi, Kuching, Penang & KK, July Onwards