Critical success factors in a public–private partnership highway project in Malaysia: Ampang–Kuala Lumpur elevated highway

The Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, which is also known as Akleh, is the first elevated highway-infrastructure project that has been procured in Malaysia through the public–private partnership approach. Even though the construction stage of the project has taken 5 years to complete, which is much longer than what is required for a normal construction project, Akleh was successfully commissioned for operation in 2001. This paper identifies and ranks the critical success factors of the first elevated highway-infrastructure project in Malaysia. All the key contributing factors that have been identified can be grouped into five critical success factors. All factors are ranked from the most critical factor that has the most impact on the success of the project. Extensive interviews with key personnel from both the project’s clients and the project concessionaire were carried out to establish what those involved in the project considered to be the critical success factors, and produce a ranking of those factors. As a result, project implementability, judiciary government control and transparent procurement process are among the most prioritised critical success factors. Effective management control, good communication between project parties and stable political situation are identified as the top three contributing factors.