KUALA LUMPUR: The second stretch of the Kajang-Seremban Expressway (Lekas) connecting Pajam and Mantin will be opened next week. 

Motorists, especially those from Kajang, Cheras, Ampang and the eastern part of here, will be able to use the 7.8km route after Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed opens it to the public on Wednesday.

Lekas is a 44.3km three-lane, dual-carriage highway between Kajang and Seremban. The first stretch of 18.2km from Kajang Selatan to Pajam, near Nilai, opened in August.

The third and fourth stretches, currently under construction, are from Mantin to Setul (6.7km) and Setul to Paroi, Seremban (11.6km).

Lekas general manager Mohd Khalid Mohamed said once the whole highway was completed, it would serve as an alternative route from Sungei Besi to Senawang.

"The highway also has vehicle-incident-detection system to monitor cars and emergency phones every 2km," he said yesterday.

IJM Corp Bhd, the main contractor appointed to reactivate works of the RM1.75 billion project, expects the whole stretch to be completed by 2010.

The highway concession is held by Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban Sdn Bhd, of which IJM and Lebuh Raya Sdn Bhd are the shareholders.

The highway would adopt a closed-toll system between Kajang and Setul and an open- toll system between Setul and Paroi.