The
North-South Expressway starts at Bukit Kayu Hitam in the North and ends in Johor
Bahru in the South, linking all major cities on the West Coast of Peninsular
Malaysia between Thailand and Singapore. In addition, two other adjoining
expressways complete the total 847.7 km of inter-urban toll highways referred to
collectively as the North-South Expressway under PLUS' concession, namely the
North Klang Valley Expressway and Federal Highway Route 2.Constructed in phases over a period of seven years, the North-South Expressway was officially opened on September 8 1994 by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, signalling the coming of age of Malaysia's road transportation system. The immediate benefits of the project were most evident in reductions in congestion and travelling time experienced by expressway users, especially during festive seasons when the traditional "balik kampung" phenomenon manifests itself in the form of peak traffic volumes as Malaysians return to their hometowns to celebrate the holidays.
Other benefits in the form of economic development were perhaps less apparent in the early years but became more and more visible as new townships and industrial parks began to take shape along the length of the expressway and trade and tourism enjoyed a new era of growth. Today, the North-South Expressway connects to other major expressways such as the North-South Expressway Central Link (NSECL) and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing (MSSC), enhancing even further the level of accessibility to the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia via major ports of entry into the country.