Multilane Highway Performance and Infrastructure Investment- A Field Evaluation of Level of Service Against Malaysian Highway Guidelines

Assessing highway performance is essential not only for managing traffic flow, but also for ensuring that infrastructure investments yield optimal operational benefits. Level of Service (LOS) is the standard measure for evaluating operational traffic quality, ranging from LOS A (free-flowing) to LOS F (heavily congested). Although the Malaysian Highway Capacity Manual (MHCM) provides guidelines for estimating LOS, empirical verification against real-world traffic conditions remains limited—a gap that directly impacts investment and planning decisions. This study evaluated the LOS of four multilane highway segments along Jalan Kuala Selangor–Kapar and Jalan Kapar–Kuala Selangor, comparing sites with and without physical medians. Field traffic data were collected using tally counters over two days per location, combined with geometric road measurements, and analyzed using Minitab software. The findings indicated that all four sites currently operate at LOS A or LOS B, reflecting smooth traffic flow, minimal delays, and high driver comfort. These results confirm the ongoing validity of the MHCM framework under present conditions while establishing an empirical baseline for highway authorities to time and target future infrastructure spending, such as lane widening, as demand increases.

Level of Service, multilane highways, infrastructure investment, traffic flow

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