Jalan Kinabalu is a main road that passes through the heart of Kuala Lumpur. It is part of Federal Route 1. It connects with Jalan Kuching in the north and Jalan Maharajalela in the south. As with Jalan Kuching, it was named after the capital of the East Malaysia state, as a means of welcoming the two states into the newly formed federation of Malaysia in 1963.
Jalan Kinabalu is the first flyover road in the country. Construction began in 1963, and the road was completed in 1965. According to Kuala Lumpur Street Names1, it was the highest elevation in Kuala Lumpur at the time of its completion, and was meant to represent Mount Kinabalu being the tallest peak in the region.
Before there was Jalan Kinabalu, there was a road that entered the Merdeka roundabout, where Jalan Kinabalu presently is located. That road was known as the Old River Road. The road has since been expunged.