AhPek Biker - Old Dog Rides Again: Kuala Lumpur: Cycling The River of Life

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Kuala Lumpur: Cycling The River of Life - Chow Kit West Bank Trails

KL River of Life Chow Kit West Bank - 2021 & 2022

Many have cycled along Kuala Lumpur's Chow Kit-Tiong Nam River of Life Cycling Path. And while cycling, most would have peered across the Gombak River or Batu River to some interesting cycling tracks on the other bank of the river, the West Bank. Some have managed to go across but most haven't as it was not easy to get to.
But with the latest development, this West Bank will become more easily accessible.... well almost easily accessible (you will see why later.)

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Kuala Lumpur River of Life Chow Kit West Bank Cycling Route

KUALA LUMPUR RIVER OF LIFE: CHOW KIT WEST BANK CYCLING ROUTE MAP:

Tun Razak Fire Station>New Steel Pedestrian Bridge>Putra Riverside Food Court>Sunway Putra Mall Riverside Entry>Walking path@River of Life>Stairs to Regalia>Regalia Suites>Tun Razak Fire Station.

This is a short flat route that goes along cycling/walking paths running along the west bank of the Batu River and Gombak River, starting from a new pedestrian bridge at Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar (that spans over the Batu River). It starts near the Tun Razak Fire Station and goes for about 0.85km till the Regalia Suites. At the start it is just a narrow walk-path wide enough for a single bike, after the Sunway Putra Mall, it slowly widens to proper path which are nicely landscaped and lit at night.

(Click here for KL River of Life Chow Kit West Bank Cycling Route Map - Google Map Link)

Places of Interest en-route (click on coordinates for Google directions map) :

- New Steel Pedestrian Bridge (GPS: 3.16986, 101.69103).

- Putra Riverside Food Court (GPS: 3.16735, 101.69299).

- Walking path@River of life (GPS: 3.16434, 101.69311).

Continuing from the Chow Kit-Tiong Nam River of Life Cycling Trails, the new West Bank pathways starts from a new bridge spanning across the Batu River at Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar. The above photos shows the commencement of the bridge construction in November 2021.

Photo of the new steel pedestrian/cycling bridge, just completed in July 2022 but still not opened to the public. Above photo is view from present Chow Kit/Tiong Nam cycling lanes, just next to the Tun Razak Fire Station.

More views of the steel bridge, from both sides of the main road.

The odd thing is that there is no ramp for bicycles to ride (or be pushed) down to the paths below. Instead there is a narrow stairs to get down to the path level, which is about 1.5 meters below. Well will just have to carry one's bike down and hope for a ramp to be built.

Perhaps, it's understandable. A peep to the lanes below show that presently it's a narrow concrete-lined pathway, just wide enough for a person to walk along. Hopefully, it will be widened in the future.

Although narrow, the lanes are nice and shady.

A peep back up to the road bridge (at the time the new bridge wasn't build yet) and to the lanes on the East Bank where the Tun Razak Fire Station is. Beautiful blue skies on a clear day.

Though narrow (about 900mm wide), the lanes are easy for a single cyclist to ride on - no riding abreast here though. Certain stretches are lined with clumps of Japanese bamboo, making them shady and a pleasure to ride along.

There are some short stretches where it's a bit overgrown with weeds, making the lane seems narrower. Here it's not shady too. We are presently at the Batu River riverside.

Ahead, the nice bamboo clumps are back, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, on the other side is the Putra Riverside Food Court. However there is not entry gate from this side - would be great if there is one, then cyclists can just drop in to have a bite or drink.

Somewhere ahead, the girls notice something - it's a couple of fig trees bearing fruits which were ripe and edible!

During our initial recce in November 2021, the construction works of the new pedestrian bridge at Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar made it impossible to get down to the West Bank lanes. We rode further ahead and found this ramp next to the Sunway Putra Mall that leads down to the lanes. This ramp is a bit steep, so ride down with care or just push down.

From here the lanes widen, and further ahead it seems to widen more!

A look back at the confluence of Batu River and Gombak River. Beyond this it's known as the GR until it's confluence with the Klang River at Masjid Jamek, after which it's known as the Klang River flowing all the way down to Klang and then Port Klang where it meets the Straits of Malacca.

From below the Jalan Putra road bridge the lanes are now proper cycling lanes - wide enough for three to ride abreast easily. On one side below the bridges are some odd stalagmite looking sculptures; wonder what they represents?

The lanes now are much proper, wide with railings on the river's side. At some stretches the overhanging branches of trees make it shady.

At other stretches it's not so shady, put trees have been planted. And the good thing is that there are lamp-posts along the way!

We took our time cycling here, stopping ever so often to admire the scenery .....

..... and to observe the going-ons on the other side where a Rapid KL LRT train went whooshing by overhead.

Our happiness was short-lived, 0.85km after the start (from the Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar pedestrian bridge) the lanes comes to an abrupt end, just next to the Regalia Suites. Ann-eh her showing the Korean crossed-arms signal of No Entry. Looks like it's the end of the road and we will have to turn back!

The stairs leading up to Regalia Suites.

Looking down from the RS, the apartment sort of sits on a island formed by ramps. From here to Regalia's driveway is a good way to get to Jalan Kuching; but it's not advisable as this is a very busy road.

Enroute back, we notice other things: bright orange-red Peacock Flower bushes.

A view of the PWTC LRT Station, from here it can be seen that the station spans over the Gombak River and is accessible from both side.

Happily back at the new steel .
It was a short but enlightening 1.7km loop. Let's hope that they will find some way to connect this West Bank stretch to the Masjid Jamek/Brickfields Cycling Paths!

OR Continue our cycling adventures on the Chow Kit-Tiong Nam Cycling Trails & Beyond.

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