Butterworth–Kulim Expressway

Butterworth–Kulim Expressway, BKE, Butterworth–Kulim Expressway AH140 (Malay: Lebuhraya Butterworth–Kulim), is the only opened toll system's expressway in Penang, Malaysia. The 17 km (11 mi) expressway connects Butterworth, Penang in the west to Lunas, Kedah in the east. It is also a main route to East–West Highway (Federal Route 4) via Baling, Kedah and Gerik, Perak.

Expressway 15 shield}}
Expressway 15
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
BKE in red
Route information
Part of AH140
Maintained by PLUS Malaysia Berhad with its subsidiary Projek Lebuhraya Usahasama Berhad
(Former concessionaries known as Konsortium Lebuhraya Butterworth-Kulim (KLBK) Sdn Bhd)
Length17 km (11 mi)
Existed1994–present
HistoryCompleted in 1996, opened on 15 November 1996
Major junctions
West endButterworth, Penang
Major intersections Butterworth Outer Ring Road FT 1 Butterworth Outer Ring Road
FT 4 AH140 Butterworth–Seberang Jaya Toll Road
North–South Expressway Northern Route AH2 North–South Expressway Northern Route
FT 136 Federal Route 136
FT 3053 Jalan Kulim Hi-Tech
FT 4 AH140 East–West Highway
East endLunas, Kedah
Location
CountryMalaysia
Primary
destinations
Butterworth, Seberang Jaya, Prai, Permatang Pauh, Lunas, Kulim, Baling
Highway system

Route background

The Butterworth–Kulim Expressway E15 is an east–west oriented expressway and concurrents with the Federal Route 4 and Asian Highway Route AH140 along its entire length. The actual starting point of the expressway is counted as Kilometre 5. Many maps have mistakenly labelled the section between Exit 1501 Kubang Sebang Interchange and Butterworth as a part of the E15 expressway; however, it is incorrect as the remaining 5-km section is not maintained by PLUS Malaysia Berhad but rather by Lingkaran Luar Butterworth (Penang) Sdn. Bhd.[1]

The zeroth kilometre is located at Jalan Heng Choon Thian at Butterworth Outer Ring Road's Container Terminal Interchange.

History

The construction of BKE started in December 1994 and was completed in September 1996.

KLBK Sdn Bhd

Konsortium Lebuhraya Butterworth-Kulim (KLBK) Sdn Bhd, commercially known as Buterworth Kulim Expressway (BKE), a wholly owned subsidiary of PLUS Expressway Berhad ("PLUS Expressways",) has been awarded the concession and contract to construct and operate the highway of dual two-lane carriageway with separate motorcycle tracks and related highway facilities for the 16.78 km highway. The concession period is for 32 years (June 1994 to June 2026, including two years construction period), after which the highway will be transferred to the Government. On 2011, the company was taken over to PLUS Malaysia Berhad and its subsidiary Projek Lebuhraya Usahasama Berhad.

Features

  • Geographically, the terrain between KM 5.00 (start point) and KM 11.00 is rather flat, passing through paddy field areas. From KM 11.00 to KM 19.00, the terrain is slightly undulating, where cut and fill slopes are common features. The terrain is again flat from KM 19.00 to KM 21.78 (end point), mainly passing through the estates and developing residential areas.
  • Geometrically, there are four grades separated interchanges and one at grade interchange along BKE. Moreover, there are nine reinforced concrete bridges (three of those are river bridges, i.e., Sungai Mengkuang, Sungai Kulim and Sungai Karangan, whereas the rest are bridges over local roads or railway track).
  • Tuanku Bainun Teachers Training Institute (Institut Perguruan Tuanku Bainun) (IPTB)
  • High speed limit 90 km/h
  • Four-lane dual carriageway
  • SOS emergency phones
  • Dedicated motorcycle lane

Tolls

The Butterworth–Kulim Expressway uses opened toll systems.

Electronic Toll Collections (ETC)

As part of an initiative to facilitate faster transaction at the Lunas and Kubang Semang Toll Plazas, all toll transactions at both toll plazas on the Butterworth–Kulim Expressway will be conducted electronically via PLUSMiles, Touch 'n Go cards or SmartTAGs starting 9 September 2015. As of December 2018, the Kubang Semang Toll Plaza and the Lunas Toll Plaza have MyRFID activated on the rightmost lanes sharing the same lanes with those of SmartTAG's lanes. This allows users of MyRFID users to fully utilize those fast lane.

Toll rates

(Since 1 February 2020)

ClassTypes of vehiclesRate (in Malaysian Ringgit (RM))
0Motorcycles
(Vehicles with two axles and two wheels)
Free
1Private Cars
(Vehicles with two axles and three or four wheels (excluding taxis and buses))
1.31
2Vans and other small goods vehicles
(Vehicles with two axles and six wheels (excluding buses))
3.20
3Large Trucks
(Vehicles with three or more axles (excluding buses))
4.80
4Taxis 0.65
5Buses 1.31

List of interchanges

The Butterworth–Kulim Expressway is a 4-lane dual-carriageway expressway which allows highway users to drive at a maximum speed of 90 km/h. Upon approaching any toll plazas, highway users have to drive no faster than 60 km/h.

kmExitInterchangeToRemarks
West
Butterworth Outer Ring Road FT 4 AH140 Butterworth Outer Ring Road
(NBCT-Sungai Nyior Side)
Sungai Nyior
Butterworth
Bagan Ajam
Perai
George Town (Ferry )
Butterworth Outer Ring Road FT 4 AH140 Butterworth Outer Ring Road
(NBCT-Sungai Nyior Side)
LLB border limit
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
0

FT 4

AH140
0
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway FT 4 AH140 Butterworth-Kulim Expressway
PLUS Expressways border limit
163Seberang Jaya Interchange North–South Expressway Northern Route AH2 North-South Expressway Northern Route

North
Alor Star/Thailand
Permatang Pauh

South
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Penang
Multi-level stacked roundabout interchange
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
5
1501Permatang Pauh InterchangeP7 Jalan Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh
Bukit Mertajam
UiTM Permatang Pauh Campus
Diamond interchange
Kubang Semang Toll Plaza
KSTP
Touch 'n Go Touch 'n Go SmartTAG MyRFID SmartTAG Touch 'n Go Touch 'n Go
Opened toll system
Pay toll
Kubang Semang Toll Plaza
KSTP
East bound
Sungai Kubang Semang bridge
1503Permatang Nibong InterchangeP3 Permatang Nibong
P188 Kubang Semang
P3 Penanti
Half diamond interchange
Railway crossing bridge
1505Tasik Mengkuang InterchangeP129 Penanti
P129 Berapit
P129 Kulim
P129 Bukit Mertajam
Tokun Hill Bukit Mertajam Recreation Area
Institut Perguruan Tuanku Bainun (IPTB)
Diamond interchange
Penanti Rest and Service Areas and Overhead Bridge Restaurant Petronas ShellBoth bound
Penang
Seberang Perai Tengah district border
Kedah-Penang border
Kedah Darul Aman
Kulim district border
Lunas toll plaza
LNS
West bound
Lunas toll plaza
LNS
Touch 'n Go Touch 'n Go SmartTAG MyRFID SmartTAG Touch 'n Go Touch 'n Go
Opened toll system
Pay toll
Sungai Kulim bridge
1508Lunas InterchangeNorth
FT 136 Kuala Ketil
FT 136 Padang Serai
FT 136 Lunas Town Centre

South
FT 136 Kulim
FT 136 Mahang
Diamond interchange
21.7Sungai Seluang JunctionsNorth
K811 Jalan Sungai Seluang
K811 Sungai Seluang
FT 136 Sidam
FT 136 Padang Serai

Southeast
Jalan Perusahan
Kulim Industrial Area
Junctions
Kulim Hi-Tech JunctionsSouth
FT 3053 Jalan Kulim Hi-Tech
Kulim Hi-Tech
Sungai Kob
Karangan
Junctions
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway FT 4 AH140 Butterworth-Kulim Expressway
Start/End of Expressway
PLUS Expressways border limit
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
21.9
FT 4 AH140 East–West Highway
Start/End of highway
JKR border limit
East
FT 4 AH140 East–West Highway
FT 67 Baling
FT 4 AH140 Gerik
FT 4 AH140 Jeli
FT 4 AH140 Tanah Merah
FT 8 Kota Bharu

References

  1. Inventori Rangkaian Jalan Utama Persekutuan Semenanjung Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Ministry of Works. 2009. ISBN 978-983-44278-2-5.
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