# Malaysia Federal Route 68

Federal Route 68, also known as Jalan Gombak or Jalan Karak Lama, is a federal road in Malaysia that links the city of Kuala Lumpur to Bentong, Pahang. Before Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 was built, the road was used to be a part of Kuala Lumpur–Kuantan Road FT2; however, due to its sharp corners, narrow roadway and lack of safety features, a replacement highway known as the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway FT2 (now Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2) was built, causing the former Kuala Lumpur–Bentong section to be re-gazetted as the Federal Route 68.

## Route background

Jalan Gombak begins at Setapak Interchange, where it intersects with Jalan Pahang FT2 and Jalan Genting Klang. Jalan Gombak still holds the FT2 designation until Kampung Bandar Dalam Intersection, where the FT2 route is detoured to Jalan Kampung Bandar Dalam FT2 while Jalan Gombak route number changes to FT68.
The section from its beginning at Setapak Interchange to Mile 8 Intersection is a dual-carriageway with the speed limit of 60 km/h. After Mile 8 Intersection, the FT68 becomes a single-carriageway road but retains the 60 km/h speed limit due to its narrower condition. After Kampung Sungai Rumput, the Jalan Gombak FT68 becomes more winding, causing the speed limit to be reduced to 50 km/h. At that point, Jalan Gombak FT68 begins ascending the Titiwangsa Range until the Selangor–Pahang state border where it joins Genting Sempah–Genting Highlands Highway and overlaps it until the Genting Sempah Roundabout that links the FT68 road with the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2.
From Genting Sempah, Jalan Gombak FT68 descends the Titiwangsa Range, passing the town of Bukit Tinggi along the way. 7 km before the road ends, the FT68 was linked to the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 for the last time via a short 400-m spur road. Jalan Gombak FT68 ends at Ketari Intersection near Bentong, where it is linked to the Federal Route 8.

## History

Jalan Gombak FT68 used to be a part of the Kuala Lumpur–Kuantan Road FT2. It was constructed in 1915. However, the road's very sharp corners, deep ravines, narrow roadway and lack of safety features made it dangerous. Therefore, in the 1970s, a replacement segment for the narrow and winding Jalan Gombak from Kuala Lumpur to Karak was constructed. The replacement section was known as the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway FT2, featuring the 914.4-m Genting Sempah Tunnel. The 75.2-km toll highway was constructed at the cost of RM136.4 million and was opened to traffic on 7 January 1978. As a result, the old Jalan Gombak was re-gazetted as the Federal Route 68.
The Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway FT2 was then upgraded to a full controlled-access expressway in 1994 and was completed four years later. However, unlike the Kuala Lumpur–Seremban Expressway E37/E2 project where the old Federal Route 1 section from Kuala Lumpur to Seremban was rehabilitated as part of the project, no such rehabilitation was done towards Jalan Gombak FT68 during the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 upgrading project. As a result, very few road users are willing to use the FT68 road due to its dangerous nature, even when the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway E8/FT2 becomes badly congested during festive seasons.
The section of Jalan Gombak FT68 from Taman Ibu Kota intersection to Mile 8 Gombak intersection and Jalan Sungai Pusu B38 up to the entrance of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Gombak were upgraded to a dual-carriageway as an Eighth Malaysia Plan (RMK-8) project to provide better access to the university from Kuala Lumpur. The upgrading works began on 1 November 2001 and were completed on 18 August 2005.

## List of junctions

| Km | Interchange | To | Remarks |
| FT 2 --- FT 68 0 | Kuala Lumpur Setapak | FT 2 Genting Klang–Pahang Highway Northeast Jalan Genting Klang Klang Gates Ulu Klang South FT 2 Jalan Pahang Sentul City Centre Seremban Petaling Jaya | Trumpet interchange |
| FT 2 Genting Klang–Pahang Highway |||||
| FT 2 FT 68 Jalan Gombak |||||
| | Jalan Gombak-DUKE Interchange | Northwest Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway DUKE Extension Expressway Sentul Pasar–Jalan Gombak Link Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway Duta–Sentul Pasar–Ulu Klang Link (Main Link) Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra (Jalan Semarak) Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway Setiawangsa FT 28 Ulu Klang FT 28 Ampang Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway City Centre Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway Kepong North–South Expressway Northern Route AH2 Ipoh Sprint Expressway Petaling Jaya | Trumpet interchange |
| | Wisma Ekovest | | |
| | Taman P Ramlee (Taman Forlong) | East Jalan 1/50 Taman P Ramlee (Taman Forlong) P. Ramlee Memorial | T-junctions |
| | Jalan Kampung Bandar Dalam Kampung Padang Balang | Northwest FT 2 Jalan Kampung Bandar Dalam FT 2 Sentul FT 2 Batu Caves East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuantan | T-junctions |
| FT 2 FT 68 Jalan Gombak Start/End of highway |||||
| FT 68 Jalan Gombak |||||
| | Gombak (Kuala Lumpur side) Pasar Besar Gombak (Wet Market) | | |
| FT 68 8 | Gombak (Kuala Lumpur side) Masjid Zaid bin Haritsah | | |
| | Gombak (Kuala Lumpur side) Taman Ibu Kota | Southeast Jalan Taman Ibukota Taman Ibu Kota Wangsa Maju | T-junctions |
| Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur DBKL border limit |||||
| FT Kuala Lumpur–Selangor border |||||
| Selangor Darul Ehsan Gombak district border JKR border limit |||||
| | Gombak (Selangor side) Taman Gombak Jaya | | |
| | Gombak (Selangor side) Masjid As Syakirin, Gombak | | |
| | Gombak (Selangor side) Taman Kamariah | | |
| | Gombak (Selangor side) Jalan Dewan | East Jalan Dewan Taman Gombak Setia Taman Melati | T-junctions |
| | Gombak (Selangor side) Masjid Lama Gombak | | |
| | Gombak (Selangor side) | West B22 Jalan Batu Caves FT 28 Batu Caves East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuantan | Half diamond interchange |
| | | | Bentong bound Maximum height limit 4.5 m |
| | Kampung Sungai Pusu | | |
| | Kampung Sungai Chinchin | | |
| | | | Setapak bound Maximum height limit 4.5 m |
| | Gombak Utara | East B38 Jalan Sungai Pusu Kampung Sungai Pusu International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Gombak East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway Kuala Lumpur Ampang | T-junctions |
| | Gombak Utara | | |
| | Sungai Chinchin bridge | | |
| | Gombak Utara | | |
| | Taman Permai Jaya | | |
| | Kampung Sungai Salak | | |
| | Mimaland | Mimaland | Abandoned T-junctions |
| | Kampung Batu Sebelas | | |
| | Kampung Batu Dua Belas Gombak | | |
| | Orang Asli Museum | | |
| | Kampung Sungai Rumput | | |
| | Taman Rimba Klasik Sendayu 650m above sea level | | |
| Selangor Darul Ehsan Gombak district border |||||
| Selangor–Pahang border 648m above sea level |||||
| Pahang Darul Makmur Bentong district border |||||
| | Genting Sempah 648m above sea level | North Genting Sempah–Genting Highlands Highway Genting Highlands Gohtong Jaya Institut Aminuddin Baki | |
| | Kampung Genting Sempah 647m above sea level | Kampung Genting Sempah Remember 126 Chinese Seafood Restaurant V | |
| | ANIH Berhad Genting Sempah Tunnel Monitoring and Maintenance Centre 645m above sea level | ANIH Berhad Genting Sempah Tunnel Monitoring and Maintenance Centre | Authorized personnel only |
| | Genting Sempah 600 m above sea level | East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway (Touch 'n Go, MyRFID and SmartTAG ETC only) West Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur FT 2 FT 28 AH141 Gombak North–South Expressway Northern Route AH2 Ipoh North–South Expressway Southern Route AH2 Seremban North–South Expressway Southern Route AH2 Johor Bahru East East Coast Expressway AH141 Kuala Terengganu East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuantan FT 8 Bentong East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Bukit Tinggi | Roundabout |
| | MTD Prime section maintenances office 600m above sea level | | Authorized personnel only |
| | Taman Rimba 600m above sea level | | |
| | Genting Sempah Rest and Service Area 600m above sea level | Petronas McDonald's | T-junctions |
| | Kampung Janda Baik 598m above sea level | Southeast C7 Jalan Janda Baik Kampung Janda Baik | T-junctions |
| | Kampung Bukit Tinggi 590m above sea level | Kampung Bukit Tinggi | T-junctions |
| | Kampung Sungai Tanglir 585m above sea level | | |
| | Bentong Hot Springs | | |
| | Kampung Lentang | | |
| | Kampung Temiang | | |
| | Kampung Lubuk Mandi | | |
| | Kampung Rasia | | |
| | Jalan Sambung Kuala Lumpur/Karak–Bentong | South FT 121 Jalan Sambung Kuala Lumpur/Karak–Bentong East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway East East Coast Expressway AH141 Kuala Terengganu East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuantan FT 2 Karak | T-junctions |
| | Kampung Sirai | | |
| | Kampung Tambai | | |
| | Taman Kolej | | |
| | Taman Wangi | | |
| | Taman Orkid | | |
| | Taman Kilat | | |
| | Taman Sri Tanjung | | |
| | Taman Ketari | | |
| 59.8 | Bentong Ketari | North FT 8 Bentong FT 8 Raub FT 8 Kuala Lipis FT 8 Gua Musang FT 8 Kota Bharu South East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur–Karak Expressway East Coast Expressway AH141 Kuala Terengganu East Coast Expressway AH141 Kuantan FT 2 Karak East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Kuala Lumpur East Coast Expressway FT 2 AH141 Genting Highlands | Junctions |