Pn Tay's Blog: Road to Penang : East West- Highway

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Road to Penang : East West- Highway

At last we are going to embark on the East West Highway, effectively crossing from the East Coast of Malaysia starting from Jeli in the east to Grik in the West Coast of Malaysia!

From Wikipedia: "East-West Highway or also known as Gerik-Jeli Highway, a 215 kilometres federal highway constructed by JKR and opened in 1982. Before East-West Highway was built, the journey from Alor Star to Kota Bharu may reach over 1,000 kilometres (621 mi), but the highway shortens the distance by about several hundred kilometre"

When it was opened in 1982, we used it to go from Kota Bharu to Penang, and now we are doing the same thing again!!!!

" As one enters the highway, the Titiwangsa Range through which the highway traverses comes into view in the distance. There are places where road signs are put up to warn motorists of elephants crossing the road, as there is no dedicated grade-separated animal crossing provided."

Elephant crossing sign!!

source: https://tropicalexpat.wordpress.com/

A herd of elephants crossing the East-West Highway between Gerik and Pulau Banding,
They actually do cross the road...no, we were not so lucky to have elephant sighting, this picture is sourced from elsewhere; just look at the baby! so cute!!! wish they did not build such unfriendly barriers! ouch!!!

"Traveling along the gentle curves one climbs higher and sees on either side the primary jungle rich with timber"

The East-West Highway is one of the more scenic routes in Peninsular Malaysia, due to its hilly nature. The highway passes through two major mountain ranges, namely the Bintang Range and the Titiwangsa Range.

Scenic or not? This was taken in 1982...it looks like a chinese painting with lofty mountains in the mists the bottom of which is shrouded and invisible!

Another picture in 1982, when the highway just opened, leafless trees silhouetted against the morning sky as dawn was breaking.

We had time to stop and I posed with the Titiwangsa Range in the background!

During construction, the highway was sabotaged and ambushed by the communist terrorists during the Communist insurgency from 1970 to 1982. Many of workers were killed and the buldozers was seriously damaged. The East-West Highway was put under strict security control by the Territorial Army Regiment of the Malaysian Army during construction and during the opening of the Highway on 1 July 1982

I remembered back then, we were not allowed to bring food in the trunk and checks were made periodically for foodstuffs in our car, we travelled in subdued silence, for the threat of being pounced on by Communists (leftovers) loomed large!!! wow! so exciting right!