Malaysia Federal Route 68

Federal Route 68, also known as Jalan Gombak or Jalan Karak Lama, is a federal road in Malaysia that links the city of Kuala Lumpur to Bentong, Pahang. Before Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 was built, the road was used to be a part of Kuala Lumpur–Kuantan Road FT2; however, due to its sharp corners, narrow roadway and lacks safety features, a replacement highway known as the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway FT2 (now Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2) was built, causing the former Kuala Lumpur–Bentong section to be re-gazetted as the Federal Route 68.

Route background

Jalan Gombak begins at Setapak Interchange, where it intersects with Jalan Pahang FT2 and Jalan Genting Klang. Jalan Gombak still holds the FT2 designation until Kampung Bandar Dalam Intersection, where the FT2 route is detoured to Jalan Kampung Bandar Dalam FT2 while Jalan Gombak route number changes to FT68.^[2][3][4]

The section from its beginning at Setapak Interchange to Mile 8 Intersection is a dual-carriageway with the speed limit of 60 km/h. After Mile 8 Intersection, the FT68 becomes a single-carriageway road but retains the 60 km/h speed limit due to its narrower condition. After Kampung Sungai Rumput, the Jalan Gombak FT68 becomes more winding, causing the speed limit to be reduced to 50 km/h.^[3] At that point, Jalan Gombak FT68 begins ascending the Titiwangsa Range until the Selangor–Pahang state border where it joins Genting Sempah–Genting Highlands Highway and overlaps it until the Genting Sempah Roundabout that links the FT68 road with the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2.^[2][3]

From Genting Sempah, Jalan Gombak FT68 descends the Titiwangsa Range, passing the town of Bukit Tinggi along the way. 7 km before the road ends, the FT68 was linked to the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 for the last time via a short 400-m spur road. Jalan Gombak FT68 ends at Ketari Intersection near Bentong, where it is linked to the Federal Route 8.^[3][2]

History

Jalan Gombak FT68 used to be a part of the Kuala Lumpur–Kuantan Road FT2. It was constructed in 1915.^[1] However, the road's very sharp corners, deep ravines, narrow roadway and lack of safety features made it dangerous. Therefore, in the 1970s, a replacement segment for the narrow and winding Jalan Gombak from Kuala Lumpur to Karak was constructed. The replacement section was known as the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway FT2, featuring the 914.4-m Genting Sempah Tunnel. The 75.2-km toll highway was constructed at the cost of RM136.4 million and was opened to traffic on 7 January 1978.^[5] As a result, the old Jalan Gombak was re-gazetted as the Federal Route 68.

The Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway FT2 was then upgraded to a full controlled-access expressway in 1994 and was completed four years later.^[6] However, unlike the Kuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway E37/E2 project where the old Federal Route 1 section from Kuala Lumpur to Seremban was rehabilitated as part of the project, no such rehabilitation was done towards Jalan Gombak FT68 during the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 upgrading project. As a result, very few road users are willing to use the FT68 road due to its dangerous nature, even when the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 becomes badly congested during festive seasons.^[3]

The section of Jalan Gombak FT68 from Taman Ibu Kota intersection to Mile 8 Gombak intersection and Jalan Sungai Pusu B38 up to the entrance of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Gombak were upgraded to a dual-carriageway as an Eighth Malaysia Plan (RMK-8) project to provide better access to the university from Kuala Lumpur. The upgrading works began on 1 November 2001 and were completed on 18 August 2005.^[7]

List of junctions

Km	Exit	Interchange[2]	To	Remarks
--- 0		Kuala Lumpur Setapak	Genting Klang–Pahang Highway Northeast Jalan Genting Klang Klang Gates Ulu Klang South Jalan Pahang Sentul City Centre Seremban Petaling Jaya	Trumpet interchange
Genting Klang–Pahang Highway
Jalan Gombak
		Taman P Ramlee (Taman Forlong)	East Jalan 1/50 Taman P Ramlee (Taman Forlong) P. Ramlee Memorial	T-junctions
		Jalan Kampung Bandar Dalam	Northwest Jalan Kampung Bandar Dalam Sentul Batu Caves Kuantan	T-junctions
Jalan Gombak Start/End of highway
Jalan Gombak
		Gombak (Kuala Lumpur side) Pasar Besar Gombak (Wet Market)
8		Gombak (Kuala Lumpur side) Masjid Zaid bin Haritsah
		Gombak (Kuala Lumpur side) Taman Ibu Kota	Southeast Jalan Taman Ibukota Taman Ibu Kota Wangsa Maju	T-junctions
Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur DBKL border limit
FT Kuala Lumpur–Selangor border
Selangor Darul Ehsan Gombak district border JKR border limit
		Gombak (Selangor side) Taman Gombak Jaya
		Gombak (Selangor side) Masjid As Syakirin, Gombak
		Gombak (Selangor side) Taman Kamariah
		Gombak (Selangor side) Jalan Dewan	East Jalan Dewan Taman Gombak Setia Taman Melati	T-junctions
		Gombak (Selangor side) Masjid Lama Gombak
		Gombak (Selangor side)	West B22 Jalan Batu Caves Batu Caves Kuantan	Half diamond interchange
				Bentong bound Maximum height limit 4.5 m
		Kampung Sungai Pusu
		Kampung Sungai Chinchin
				Setapak bound Maximum height limit 4.5 m
		Gombak Utara	East B38 Jalan Sungai Pusu Kampung Sungai Pusu International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Gombak Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway Kuala Lumpur Ampang	T-junctions
		Gombak Utara
		Sungai Chinchin bridge
		Gombak Utara
		Taman Permai Jaya
		Kampung Sungai Salak
		Mimaland	Mimaland	Abandoned T-junctions
		Kampung Batu Sebelas
		Kampung Batu Dua Belas Gombak
		Orang Asli Museum
		Kampung Sungai Rumput
		Taman Rimba Klasik Sendayu
Selangor Darul Ehsan Gombak district border
Selangor–Pahang border 648m above sea level
Pahang Darul Makmur Bentong district border
		Genting Sempah 648m above sea level	North Genting Sempah–Genting Highlands Highway Genting Highlands Gohtong Jaya Institut Aminuddin Baki
		Kampung Genting Sempah 647m above sea level	Kampung Genting Sempah Remember 126 Chinese Seafood Restaurant V
		ANIH Berhad Genting Sempah Tunnel Monitoring and Maintenance Centre 645m above sea level	ANIH Berhad Genting Sempah Tunnel Monitoring and Maintenance Centre	Authorized personnel only
		Genting Sempah 600 m above sea level	Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway (TnG and TAG ETC only) West Kuala Lumpur Gombak Ipoh Seremban Johor Bahru East Kuala Terengganu Kuantan Bentong Bukit Tinggi	Roundabout
		MTD Prime section maintenances office 600m above sea level		Authorized personnel only
		Taman Rimba 600m above sea level
		Genting Sempah Rest and Service Area 600m above sea level	Petronas McDonald's	T-junctions
		Kampung Janda Baik 598m above sea level	Southeast C7 Jalan Janda Baik Kampung Janda Baik	T-junctions
		Kampung Bukit Tinggi 590m above sea level	Kampung Bukit Tinggi	T-junctions
		Kampung Sungai Tanglir 585m above sea level
		Bentong Hot Springs
		Kampung Lentang
		Kampung Temiang
		Kampung Lubuk Mandi
		Kampung Rasia
		Jalan Sambung Kuala Lumpur/Karak–Bentong	South Jalan Sambung Kuala Lumpur/Karak–Bentong Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway East Kuala Terengganu Kuantan Karak	T-junctions
		Kampung Sirai
		Kampung Tambai
		Taman Kolej
		Taman Wangi
		Taman Orkid
		Taman Kilat
		Taman Sri Tanjung
		Taman Ketari
59.8		Bentong Ketari	North Bentong Raub Kuala Lipis Gua Musang Kota Bharu South Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway Kuala Terengganu Kuantan Karak Kuala Lumpur Genting Highlands	Junctions

References