SMART Tunnel

TheStormwater Management And Road Tunnel(SMART Tunnel), E38, is a storm drainage and road structure inKuala Lumpur,Malaysia,and a majornational projectin the country. The 9.7 km (6.0 mi) tunnel is the longeststormwaterdrainage tunnelinSoutheast Asiaand second longest inAsia.

Expressway 38
Stormwater Management And Road Tunnel (SMART Tunnel) Terowong Jalan dan Pengurusan Air Banjir (Terowong SMART)
East Kuala Lumpur map with the SMART Tunnel
Route information
Maintained by Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir dan Terowong Sdn Bhd (SMART)
Length	4 km (2.5 mi)
Existed	2003–present
History	Construction works started November 2003, and were completed in 2007
Major junctions
North end	Sultan Ismail–Kampung Pandan Link Jalan Tun Razak
Major intersections	Sultan Ismail–Kampung Pandan Link Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 1(Jalan Tun Razak) East–West Link ExpresswayKuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway East–West Link ExpresswayEast–West Link Expressway
South end	SMART Tunnel toll plaza nearSungai Besi Airport
Location
Country	Malaysia
Primary destinations	Bukit Bintang Imbi Cheras Petaling Jaya Seremban
Highway system
Highways in Malaysia Expressways Federal State

Stormwater Management And Road Tunnel

Southbound upper deck of the SMART Tunnel
Overview
Location	Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
Status	Operational
Route	SMART TunnelE38
Start	Jalan Tun Razak onKuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 1
End	Sungai Besi AirportonEast–West Link ExpresswayKuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway
Operation
Work begun	2003
Constructed	Gamuda Berhad MMC Corporation Berhad
Opened	2007
Owner	Government of Malaysia Malaysian Highway Authority(LLM) Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia(JPS)
Operator	Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir dan Terowong Sdn Bhd (SMART)
Toll	Private cars and taxis
Technical
Length	4 km (2.5 mi)
No.oflanes	4, double-decked
Operating speed	60 km/h

The main objective of this tunnel is to solve the problem offlash floodsin Kuala Lumpur and to reduce traffic jams alongJalan Sungai Besiand Loke Yew flyover at Pudu during rush hour. There are two components of this tunnel, thestormwater tunnelandmotorway tunnel.It is the longest multi-purpose tunnel in the world.

In 2011, the SMART tunnel received theUN Habitat Scroll of Honour Awardfor its innovative and unique management of storm water and peak hour traffic.

It begins atKampung Berembanglake nearKlang RiveratAmpangand ends atTaman Desalake nearKerayong RiveratSalak South.The project is led by the government, includingMalaysian Highway Authority(Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia, LLM)and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia(Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran, JPS)and also a company joint venture pact betweenGamuda BerhadandMMC Corporation Berhad(MMC).

Route background

The Kilometre Zero of the tunnel is located at Salak Interchange.

History

In 2001 the Government sought proposals for a solution that would allow a typical flood of three to six hours' duration to occur without flooding the city centre.A tunnel that would allow floods to bypass the centre was one way of achieving this, providing it was coupled with temporary storage facilities to keep flows downstream of Kuala Lumpur within the capacity of the river channel. A group led by Gamuda engaged SSP, a large Malaysian consultant engineering firm, and Mott MacDonald UK to develop proposals for a tunnel with holding ponds at upstream and downstream ends of the tunnel.

Construction of the tunnel began on 25 November 2003. TwoHerrenknechtTunnel Boring Machines(TBM) fromGermanywere used, includingTuahon north side andGemilangon south side.Gusztáv Kladoswas the senior project manager of the project.

On 11 December 2003, the 13.2-m diameter Mixshield TBM, Tuah, completed a 737-m section after 24 weeks of excavation. By the end of January 2004, Tuah would start a second drive covering a distance of 4.5 km to Kampung Berembang lake. The motorway sections on the SMART system was officially opened at 3:00PM, 14 May 2007, after multiple delays.

Meanwhile, the stormwater sections on the SMART system began operations at the end of January 2007.

By 18 July 2010 the SMART system had prevented seven potentially disastrous flash floods in the city centre,having entered its first mode 3 operation only weeks after the opening of the motorway.

As of September 2020, the tunnel had activated its fourth mode for the seventh time. During the flash flood on 10 September 2020, the tunnel diverted three million cubic metres of water.

In December 2021, SMART entered Mode 4 for an eighth time, due to themassive floodingcaused by heavy rainfall lasting from 16 to 18 December. Things would have been much worse in Kuala Lumpur had it not been for the tunnel, which successfully diverted 5 million cubic metres of flood water during the 22 hours it was on full activation.

In 2022, the government was considering the proposal to build another tunnel, briefly known as SMART 2, to cater for high density flood-prone area such asShah Alam.

Functioning

The four modes of operation and storage capacity.

The first mode, under normal conditions where there is no storm, no flood water will be diverted into the system. When the second mode is activated, flood water is diverted into the bypass tunnel underneath the motorway tunnel. The motorway section is still open to traffic at this stage. When the third mode is in operation, the motorway will be closed to all traffic. After making sure all vehicles have exited the motorway, automated water-tight gates will be opened to allow flood waters to pass through. After the flood has ended, the tunnel is verified and cleaned via pressure-washing, and the motorway will be reopened to traffic within 48 hours of closure.

Technical specifications

SMART tunnel entrance along Jalan Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Stormwater tunnel

• Construction cost:RM1,887 million (US$514.6 million)
• Stormwater tunnel length:9.7 km (6.0 mi)
• Diameter:13.2 m (43.3 ft) (outer diameter)
• Tunnelling method:tunnel boring machine(TBM)
• TBM type:slurry shield

Motorway tunnel

• Motorway tunnel length:4 km (2.5 mi)
• Structure type:double deck
• Ingress and egress:1.5 km (0.93 mi) at Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Imbi
• Length:1.4 km (0.87 mi) at Jalan Tun Razak
• Links:1.6 km (0.99 mi) atKuala Lumpur–Seremban ExpresswayLinks: City Centre near Kg. Pandan Roundabout KL–Seremban Expressway nearSungai Besi Airport

Features

The north bound entrance of SMART Tunnel on the Kuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway.

• World's First Dual-Function Tunnel (Stormwater Management & Road)
• Longest tunnel in Malaysia
• 9.7 km (6.03 miles) stormwater by-pass tunnel
• 4 km (2.49 miles) double-deck motorway within stormwater tunnel
• The motorway tunnel is suitable for light vehicles only. Motorcycles and heavy vehicles are not allowed
• Ingress and egress connections to the motorway tunnel linking the southern gateway to the city centre
• Holding basin complete with diversion and tunnel intake structures
• Storage reservoir and a twin-box culvert to release flood discharge
• State-of-the-art operations control room equipped with the latest systems in operations management, surveillance and maintenance of the SMART system.
• Custom-madefire engineunits consisting of two modifiedToyota Hiluxpickup trucks, parked at two different locations for quick access to the tunnel in case of fire on both carriageways.

Tolls

The SMART Tunnel utilizes an open toll system. Ever since its operation, all toll transactions at this toll plaza are carried out usingTouch 'n Gocards, MyRFIDs orSmartTAGs.Cash payments are not accepted.

Toll rates

Class	Type of vehicles	Rate (inMalaysian ringgit(RM))	Notes
1	Private Cars (Vehicles with two axles and three or four wheels and not exceeding 2.4 metres in height)	3.00	—
2	Vans and other small goods vehicles (Vehicles with two axles and three or four wheels and not exceeding 2.4 metres in height)
4	Taxis (Vehicles with two axles and three or four wheels and not exceeding 2.4 metres in height)		Toll charges are paid by passengers usingTouch 'n Gocards only.

FM radio channels available

Radio	Frequencies
Nasional FM	87.7 MHz
BFM 89.9	89.9 MHz
TraXX FM	100.1 MHz
IKIMfm	91.5 MHz
Hitz	92.9 MHz
Bernama Radio	93.9 MHz
Radio Klasik	95.3 MHz
Fly FM	95.8 MHz
KL FM	97.2 MHz
Hot FM	97.6 MHz
988 FM	98.8 MHz
Kool 101	101.3 MHz
Era	103.3 MHz
Suria	105.3 MHz

List of interchanges

The entire expressway had its speed limit of 60 km/h.

Legend:

• I/C -interchange,I/S -intersection,RSA -Rest and service area,OBR -overhead bridge restaurant,L/B - layby, V/P - vista point, TN -tunnel,T/P -toll plaza,BR -bridge

From/to E37 East–West Link Expressway

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
SMART Tunnel 0			East–West Link ExpresswayEast–West Link Expressway Southeast Cheras Northwest Petaling Jaya Shah Alam	Direction Y junctions
East–West Link ExpresswayKuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway ANIH Berhad border limit
SMART TunnelSMART Tunnel (Touch 'n GoandSmartTAGETC only) SMART border limit
		SMART Tunnel operation office	TnGTAG Customer Service Centre SMART Tunnel operation office	South bound on Cheras, Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam stretches only
SMART toll plaza				Accepts electronic toll payment (Touch 'n GoandSmartTAGonly)
Motorway Tunnel Dry sections Start/end of tunnel Maximum height 2 m Speed limit 60 km/h
				From/to Motorway tunnel

From/to E37 Kuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
			South East–West Link ExpresswayKuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway East–West Link ExpresswayKompleks Sukan Negara Shah Alam ExpresswayKlang North–South Expressway Southern RouteNorth–South Expressway Southern Route North–South Expressway Central LinkAH2Kuala Lumpur International Airport(KLIA) North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Seremban North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Melaka North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Johor Bahru
East–West Link ExpresswayKuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway ANIH Berhad border limit
SMART TunnelSMART Tunnel (Touch 'n GoandSmartTAGETC only) SMART border limit
SMART Tunnel 0
SMART toll plaza				Accepts electronic toll payment (Touch 'n GoandSmartTAGonly)
Motorway Tunnel Dry sections Start/end of tunnel Maximum height 2 m Speed limit 60 km/h
				From/to Motorway tunnel

Motorway tunnel

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
Motorway Tunnel Dry sections Start/end of tunnel Maximum height 2 m Speed limit 60 km/h
	3801	Motorway Tunnel Dry sections Tunnel exit south bound	3801A SMART Tunnel Operation Office East–West Link ExpresswayEast–West Link Expressway East–West Link ExpresswayCheras East–West Link ExpresswayPetaling Jaya East–West Link ExpresswayShah Alam 3801B East–West Link ExpresswayKuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway East–West Link ExpresswayKompleks Sukan Negara Shah Alam ExpresswayKlang North–South Expressway Southern RouteNorth–South Expressway Southern Route North–South Expressway Central LinkAH2Kuala Lumpur International Airport(KLIA) North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Seremban North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Melaka North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Johor Bahru	Tunnel Interchange
Motorway Tunnel Conversion from dry to wet
		Motorway Tunnel Wet sections
Motorway Tunnel Conversion from wet to dry
	3802	Motorway Tunnel Dry sections Tunnel exit north bound	3802A Sultan Ismail Link Tunnel Jalan Davis Kuala Lumpur Inner Ring Road Jalan Imbi Jalan Sultan Ismail Jalan Bukit Bintang 3802B Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 1 Jalan Tun Razak (Jalan Pekeliling) Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Ampang	Tunnel Interchange Lower floor
Motorway Tunnel Dry sections Start/end of tunnel Maximum height 2 m Speed limit 60 km/h
SMART TunnelSMART Tunnel Start/end of expressway (Touch 'n GoandSmartTAGETC only) SMART border limit
Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 1 DBKL border limit
			North Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 1 Jalan Tun Razak (Jalan Pekeliling) Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Ampang

Sultan Ismail link tunnel

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
	3802	Sultan Ismail link tunnel Dry sections Tunnel entry south bound	Motorway Tunnel East–West Link ExpresswayCheras East–West Link ExpresswayPetaling Jaya East–West Link ExpresswayKompleks Sukan Negara North–South Expressway Central LinkAH2Kuala Lumpur International Airport(KLIA) North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Seremban North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Melaka North–South Expressway Southern RouteAH2Johor Bahru	Tunnel Interchange Upper floor
Motorway Tunnel Dry sections Start/end of tunnel Maximum height 2 m Speed limit 60 km/h
SMART TunnelSMART Tunnel Start/end of expressway (Touch 'n GoandSmartTAGETC only) SMART border limit
Jalan Davis DBKL border limit
			NorthWest Sultan Ismail–Kampung Pandan Link(Jalan Davis) Kuala Lumpur Inner Ring Road Jalan Imbi Jalan Sultan Ismail Jalan Bukit Bintang

In popular culture

The tunnel was featured in the below series:

• Season 4, Episode 2, ofExtreme Engineering,titled "MegaTunnel", on theDiscovery Channel.
• An episode ofTruly Malaysiaon theNational Geographic ChannelandTV1.
• Season 2, Episode 3, ofMan Made Marvels,titled "Kuala Lumpur: Flood Control", on theScience Channel.
• Season 4, Episode 2, ofMegastructureson theNational Geographic ChannelandTV1.
• Season 1, Episode 2 ofBuild It Biggeron theScience Channel.

See also

• List of long tunnels by type

External links

• SMART Tunnel
• Map of the SMART tunnel
• MMC Corporation Berhad
• Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia
• SMART Tunnel - Mott MacDonald Project Page