KL highways go by initials, some from English names and some from Malay ones, which is why "NKVE" and "LDP" mean nothing to a visitor at first. Every tolled expressway also has a code starting with E, shown on a yellow hexagon on the green signs. Learn the eight or nine you'll use, and the signs start to make sense.
The main KL highways at a glance
Codes are the Malaysian Highway Authority's (LLM's) own, as at 2026.
| Highway | Code | Runs between | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NKVE (New Klang Valley Expressway) | E1 | Jalan Duta, Bukit Lanjan and Shah Alam | Getting west to Shah Alam, and north onto the NSE |
| North–South Expressway, northern route | E1 | North of KL to Ipoh, Penang and the Thai border | Ipoh, Cameron Highlands (Tapah), Penang |
| North–South Expressway, southern route | E2 | South of KL to Seremban, Melaka and Johor Bahru | Port Dickson, Melaka, JB |
| ELITE (NSE Central Link) | E6 | Shah Alam to Nilai, past Putrajaya and the KLIA turn-off | KLIA from PJ and Shah Alam; going south without crossing KL |
| Federal Highway | FT2 | KL to PJ, Subang, Shah Alam and Klang | The old main road between KL and PJ |
| LDP (Damansara–Puchong Expressway) | E11 | Damansara to Puchong | North–south across PJ's west side |
| SPRINT | E23 | Links on KL's west side around Damansara, Bangsar and Kerinchi | Damansara Heights, Bangsar, Mont Kiara side |
| NPE (New Pantai Expressway) | E10 | Bangsar to Subang Jaya, through Pantai Dalam, PJ, Sunway and USJ | Mid Valley and Bangsar to Sunway and Subang |
| KESAS (Shah Alam Expressway) | E5 | Klang across to Sri Petaling | East–west across the southern Klang Valley |
| MEX (KL–Putrajaya) | E20 | Kampung Pandan in KL to Cyberjaya and Putrajaya | Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, and a KLIA option from the city side |
| DUKE (Duta–Ulu Klang) | E33 | Jalan Duta, past Sentul, to Ulu Klang | Crossing the north of the city; the way onto the Karak road |
| KL–Karak | E8 | Gombak to Karak, then on as the East Coast Expressway | Genting, Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, Kuantan |
| SMART Tunnel | E38 | Jalan Tun Razak to Sungai Besi, underground | A 4 km short cut under the south of the city centre |
| MRR2 (Middle Ring Road 2) | FT28 | Ring road around the north and east of KL | Batu Caves, Kepong, Ampang |
There are more: AKLEH (E12, Ampang to the city centre), SPE (E39, Setiawangsa to Pantai), SUKE (E19, Sungai Besi to Ulu Klang), BESRAYA (E9), Cheras–Kajang (E7), SILK (E18, around Kajang), DASH (E31, Damansara to Shah Alam), the Guthrie Corridor (E35), LATAR (E25, towards Kuala Selangor) and the SKVE (E26) across the south of the Klang Valley. You won't need most of them unless you live here.
For live conditions on any of them, LLM's traffic line (1-800-88-7752, 7 am to 10 pm) and its social accounts report closures and jams, and the TuJu app, which LLM runs, shows live traffic and highway cameras.
Leaving PJ: which highway goes where
Grandpride's showroom is in Section 13, Petaling Jaya, so these are the usual first moves from there. Your navigation app will choose between them on the day's traffic, but it helps to know what it's choosing.
To KLIA or KLIA2
The western route runs via the NKVE to Shah Alam and down the ELITE, which has its own KLIA exit onto the KLIA Expressway. The city-side alternative is the MEX towards Putrajaya, then the Putrajaya Link across to the ELITE, because the MEX itself doesn't reach the airport. Our guide to how early to leave for KLIA covers the timing. Or skip the drive: a Grandpride chauffeur to KLIA is a flat fare, booked online at least two days ahead.
To Genting Highlands
Get onto the DUKE and follow it to the KL–Karak Expressway at Sentul. After Gombak, it's one road to the Genting Sempah turn-off. Driving up to Genting yourself covers the climb itself.
North to Ipoh, Cameron or Penang
The NKVE runs to Bukit Lanjan, where it becomes the North–South Expressway northern route, and you stay on it almost all the way to Penang.
South to Melaka, Port Dickson or JB
The ELITE takes you to the southern NSE near Nilai without going through KL.
Into the city centre
The Federal Highway is the direct line from PJ. For Bangsar, Mont Kiara or Damansara Heights, the SPRINT links are often shorter.
Things that catch drivers out
- The SMART Tunnel is for cars only. No motorcycles, no lorries, and a 2 m height limit. It also closes to traffic when the tunnel is needed for floodwater in very heavy rain, so have a second route in mind in a storm.
- The same code can mean two roads. E1 is both the NKVE and the northern NSE; E8 is the Karak road and the East Coast Expressway beyond it. Follow the destination names on the signs as well as the number.
- Tolls are electronic. You can't pay cash. Grandpride rental cars come with a Touch 'n Go card you load yourself, anywhere from RM 50 to RM 500, and our toll guide explains RFID and the rest.
- Rush hour slows every route. The quickest highway at 10 am may be the slowest at 6 pm. Our guide to KL traffic times shows which hours to avoid.
