# Central Spine Road

Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway, previously known as Central Spine Road (CSR) or Kuala Krai–Kuala Pilah Highway, Federal Route 34, is a new toll-free expressway under construction in the center of Peninsular Malaysia. The 325 kilometres (201 miles) of highway is being built to eventually replace the mostly two-lane Malaysia Federal Route 8 (Gua Musang Highway) as well as Malaysia Federal Route 9 (Karak–Tampin highway). Construction of CSR began at Package 3, from Merapoh to Kampung Relong due to the fact that the old Gua Musang Highway passes through Chegar Perah, a section notorious for roadkill. The new highway has a long eco-viaduct built in this section. Package 5, which stretches from north Raub to Karak will be built next, which will connect it to the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway (E8), bypassing Bentong and Mempaga. This will help detour traffic from the steep mountainous grade between Raub and Bentong. It was formerly known as Central Spine Expressway.

## History

The construction of the highway is being undertaken in several phases:
* Phase 1 is a 51km stretch from Kuala Krai to Jambatan Sungai Lakit in Kelantan.
* Phase 2 is a 63km long from Jambatan Sungai Lakit to Gua Musang in Kelantan
* Phase 3 is a 107km long from Gua Musang to Kampung Relong in Pahang.
* Phase 4 is a 56km long from Kampung Relong to Raub in Pahang
* Phase 5 is a 54km longfrom Raub to Bentong
* Phase 6 is a 47km long and connects Bentong and Simpang Pelangai. (this section is deferred)
On 15 December 2016, section 3H (Kg. Kechur to Kg. Sbrg. Jelai) was opened to traffic. As of July 2024, Package One from Kuala Krai to the Sungai Lakit Bridge is 11.59% complete; Package Two from the Sungai Lakit Bridge to Gua Musang is 22.40% complete. Package Three from Gua Musang to Kampung Relong is 84.25% complete; Package Four from Kampung Relong to Raub is 63.69% complete.
Users can now access Package Five from Raub to Bentong, and Package Six from Bentong to the LPT Junction is 30.07% complete.

## Features

* Four lanes, two on each side
* A long eco-viaduct for wild animals crossing
* Some sections are concrete paved
* Kilometre markers along the road
In most sections, it is built under JKR R5 road standards, allowing maximum speed limit of up to 90km/h.
From Kampung Sungai Yu to Chegar Perah and from Chegar Perah to Bukit Tujuh, it overlaps Federal Route 8 Merapoh Highway.
There are no sections with motorcycle lanes.

## List of interchanges

| State | District | Km | Exit | Name | Destination | Notes |
| Through to FT 34 Kota Bharu–Kuala Krai Expressway |||||||
| Kelantan | Kuala Krai | | | Kuala Krai | | |
| Kelantan | | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Start/End of highway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Start/End of highway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Start/End of highway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Start/End of highway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Start/End of highway Under construction |
| Kelantan | | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 1 Under construction |
| Kelantan | Gua Musang | | | Sungai Lakit Bridge | | |
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 2 Under construction |||||
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 2 Under construction |||||
| Kelantan | Gua Musang | | | Gua Musang | | |
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 Under construction |||||
| Kelantan | Gua Musang | | | Mentara | | |
| Kelantan Darul Naim Gua Musang district border |||||
| | | Kelantan–Pahang border | Kelantan–Pahang border | Kelantan–Pahang border | Kelantan–Pahang border | Kelantan–Pahang border |
| Pahang | | Pahang Darul Makmur Lipis district border | Pahang Darul Makmur Lipis district border | Pahang Darul Makmur Lipis district border | Pahang Darul Makmur Lipis district border | Pahang Darul Makmur Lipis district border |
| Pahang | | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Under construction |
| Pahang | | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3F JKR border limit | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3F JKR border limit | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3F JKR border limit | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3F JKR border limit | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3F JKR border limit |
| Pahang | Lipis | | -- | Kubang Rusa Interchange | FT 8 Merapoh Highway West Kampung Kubang Rusa Merapoh Gua Musang Kuala Krai Kota Bharu FT 185 Simpang Pulai–Kuala Berang Highway Cameron Highland Ipoh Tasik Kenyir Kuala Terengganu East Kampung Sungai Yu Pusat Rekreasi Sungai Yu | Parclo B-2 interchange |
| Sungai Yu Eco-Viaduct Eco-Viaduct |||||
| Pahang | Lipis | | -- | Sungai Yu Interchange | FT 8 Merapoh Highway West Kampung Sungai Yu Pusat Rekreasi Sungai Yu Merapoh | Trumpet interchange |
| Pahang | Lipis | | -- | Chegar Perah | FT 8 Merapoh Highway West Chegar Perah | LILO Kuala Krai bound |
| Pahang | Lipis | | -- | Chegar Perah | FT 8 Merapoh Highway West Chegar Perah | LILO Kuala Krai bound |
| Pahang | Lipis | | | U-Turn | FT 8 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway U-Turn Chegar Perah Sungai Yu Kubang Rusa Mentara Gua Musang Kuala Krai Kota Bharu | U-Turn south bound Under Construction |
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3F JKR border limit |||||
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Under construction |||||
| Pahang | Lipis | | | FELDA Telang | | |
| Pahang | Lipis | | | Kampung Kechur | | |
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3H JKR border limit |||||
| Pahang | Lipis | | | Kampung Seberang Jelai | | |
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 (Gua Musang–Kampung Relong) Section 3H JKR border limit |||||
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3J Under construction |||||
| Pahang | Lipis | | | Kampung Relong | | |
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 3 Under construction |||||
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 4 Under construction |||||
| Pahang | | Lipis–Raub district border | Lipis–Raub district border | Lipis–Raub district border | Lipis–Raub district border | Lipis–Raub district border |
| Pahang | | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 5 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 5 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 5 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 5 Under construction | FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Package 5 Under construction |
| Pahang | Raub | | | Raub (U) Interchange | FT 8 Federal Route 8 Raub Sungai Ruan | Diamond interchange |
| Pahang | | Raub–Bentong district border | Raub–Bentong district border | Raub–Bentong district border | Raub–Bentong district border | Raub–Bentong district border |
| Pahang | Bentong | | | Raub (S) Interchange | West FT 1502 Raub Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Raub Campus FT 218 Bukit Fraser East FT 1502 FELDA Krau | Half diamond interchange |
| Pahang | Bentong | | | Bentong (U) Interchange | East FT 1498 Kampung Lebu Northwest FT 8 FELDA Lurah Bilut | Diamond interchange |
| Pahang | Bentong | | | Mempaga Interchange | East FT 1498 FELDA Mempaga Southwest East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway Kuala Lumpur Kuantan Genting Highlands | Roundabout interchange |
| Pahang | Bentong | | 6A | Bentong (S) Interchange | North FT 8 Bentong | Half diamond interchange |
| Pahang | Bentong | | 809 | KLK Interchange | West East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway Kuala Lumpur Genting Highlands | Trumpet interchange, entry only westbound |
| FT 34 Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Under construction |||||
| Pahang | Bentong | | | Kampung Telemong | | |
| Pahang | Bentong | | | Mancis | | |
| FT 34Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway Start/End of highway Under construction |||||
| Pahang | Bentong | | -- | Simpang Pelangai | Northwest FT 9 Karak FT 9 Mancis Southeast FT 34 Kuala Klawang FT 9 Kuala Pilah FT 51 Seremban | T-junctions |