NSE Ipoh Utara-Ipoh Selatan southbound lanes to close from 10am Nov 30 for emergency drill

IPOH: A highway emergency response exercise will take place on the Ipoh Utara-Ipoh Selatan stretch of the North-South Expressway (NSE) on Nov 30 between 10am and 2.30pm.

PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) chief operating officer Datuk Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi said the southbound stretch of the road will be temporarily closed to facilitate the exercise.

"Throughout the closure, southbound highway users from the north or from Kuala Kangsar will be diverted to the Ipoh Utara toll plaza and are advised to use the FT240 Jelapang-Ampang slip road.

"Highway users heading south are advised to re-enter the expressway via the Ipoh Selatan toll plaza," he said in a statement today.

"Highway users are advised to obey all traffic signage and instructions given by PLUS personnel throughout the exercise," he added.

Zakaria said the exercise was aimed at gauging the readiness and response by PLUS, emergency teams and related agencies in managing emergency situations on the highway.

“Safety of highway users is always our top priority. Therefore, emergency response exercises are conducted from time to time to measure and evaluate the level of preparedness of PLUS personnel and other agencies to ensure the safety of highway users is in good hands,” he said.

The exercise will also involve various agencies such as the Malaysian Highway Authority, the police, Road Transport Department, Fire and Rescue Department, Environment Department, Civil Defence, MERS 999, National Security Council, Health Ministry, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, Edgenta Infrastructure Services (EIS) and many more.

For more traffic information or assistance during emergencies, call PLUSLINE at 1800-88-0000.