Kuala Lumpur Gridlocked: Heavy Downpour Brings City Traffic to a Standstill
An intense evening downpour on December 4th brought the bustling heart of Kuala Lumpur to a grinding halt, causing widespread traffic paralysis across the city's central arteries. From as early as 5 PM, major thoroughfares surrounding the iconic Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) became impassable, trapping thousands of commuters in severe congestion.
Key Routes Overwhelmed
The chaos was particularly pronounced on Jalan Ampang, where vehicles traveling from Bukit Nanas towards Ampang ceased all movement around 6 PM, creating long, motionless queues. This already dire situation was exacerbated by a relentless surge of traffic from connecting routes like Jalan P. Ramlee and Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, completely overwhelming key intersections during the peak evening rush.
Motorists attempting to leave commercial buildings and paid parking facilities near KLCC found themselves equally ensnared, as access roads were choked with an unyielding flood of vehicles. Visual evidence, including videos and photographs widely circulated on social media, depicted scenes of complete immobility, with cars near KLCC's Wisma Getah stuck for nearly half an hour.
Widespread Disruption Beyond KLCC
The gridlock wasn't confined to the immediate KLCC vicinity. Jalan Tun Razak also reported significant delays in both directions, impacting commutes from Sungai Besi and Jalan Pahang. Even the elevated Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH), designed to alleviate surface traffic, experienced substantial slowdowns, though vehicles there managed to inch forward incrementally.
As of the report, no official updates or statements had been issued by the authorities regarding the extensive traffic disruption.