The North–South Expressway Northern Route is an interstate controlled-access highway running parallel to the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The expressway forms the north section of the North–South Expressway, passing through the northwestern states of Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor. The expressway begins at the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint in Kedah where the Malaysia–Thailand border lies, and ends at Bukit Lanjan in Selangor where the expressway interchanges with the New Klang Valley Expressway. The expressway is operated by PLUS Expressways. The expressway runs in a north–south direction close to the northwestern coast of the peninsula, connecting several major towns including Alor Setar, George Town, Seberang Perai, Taiping, Ipoh and Rawang while also providing access to several rural villages on its path. The expressway runs parallel to the existing Federal Route 1; it is also concurrent to the expressway from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Jitra. The ticket system is used for toll collection between the Hutan Kampung and Sungai Dua toll plazas, and also from the Juru toll plaza up to Bukit Lanjan, where the toll collection system merges with that of the New Klang Valley Expressway. The section from Sungai Dua to Juru in the state of Penang is toll-free due to heavy usage by local commuters to access Penang Bridge. In the vicinity of Ipoh, the section between Jelapang and Ipoh South features a local-express lane system. This is the longest expressway in Peninsular Malaysia. Route description The expressway begins at the Malaysia–Thailand border at Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah, where the road continues as Phetkasem Road in Thailand. The expressway proceeds southwards through the states of Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor, where it terminates at its interchange with the New Klang Valley Expressway, also designated as route E1. While kilometre readings are taken from north to south, exits are numbered in reverse, from south to north. PLUS Expressways, previously Projek Lebuhraya Utara–Selatan (PLUS) formed in 1986, operates and maintains the expressway. The concession is scheduled to end on 31 December 2038. Features Notable features Its main features include the Penang Bridge which is Malaysia's second longest bridge, Sungai Perak Bridge (Jambatan Sultan Azlan Shah), Menora Tunnel and the North-South Expressway Monument at Rawang Rest and Service Area (R&R) (North bound). The Gopeng-Tapah section is the most expensive section of the North-South Expressway network. It can be considered as a dangerous stretches. There are two dangerous stretches along the