Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan

At Your ServiceSMART provides an alternative route to ease traffic congestion between the KualaLumpur City Centre around the Kampung Pandan roundabout and the southerngateway at TUDM, Sungei Besi–Seremban Highway. The construction cost ofSMART was RM1.93bil. The Government’s cost amounted to RM1.31bil, while theremaining RM621mil was borne by the contractor, who has been given a 40-yearconcessionaire period to collect toll through SMART traffic operations, in lieu ofthe capital investment. The working principle of SMART is simple. During a heavydownpour, the excess flood water at the confluence of the Ampang River and KlangRiver at Kampung Berembang will be diverted and detained in the holding pond.This will then be channelled through the 9.7km tunnel before being discharging andstore in the Taman Desa storage pond at the downstream end. Subsequently, theflood water in the storage pond will be released back to the Klang River via theKerayong River when the downpour subsides. SMART has a flood storage capacityof three million cubic meters. There are four modes of SMART Operations. Duringmodes one and two, traffic in the tunnel is not affected.When the flood levels rise to a level where modes one and two are not able tocope, mode three operation will kick off and traffic in the tunnel will have to beevacuated.Two hours after a heavy storm subsides, thetunnel can be re-opened to traffic. However,should the heavy storm persists, then traffictunnel compartments will be use to channelthe excess flood water, this is called ‘modefour operation’. When this mode kicks off,the tunnel can be used again only afterproper de-watering, cleaning and inspection.This often causes a four-day closure to the tunnel. The public is notified when thisis done. Since SMART began its operations in July 2007, it has handled a total of 79storm events (50 events in mode two, 28 events in mode three and one event inmode four). The tunnel has protected Kuala Lumpur from seven major storms. Two62