The construction was led by Senai–Desaru Expressway Berhad with a main contractor, Ranhill Engineers & Constructors Sdn Bhd.
[citation needed] On 12 December 2017, former Works Minister Fadillah Yusof had announced that the government approved to allocate RM390 million to upgrade and expand the 26 km stretch from Cahaya Baru to the Bandar Penawar intersection into dual carriageway.
Following this session, Johor's State Public Works, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee chairman Mazlan Bujang said the federal government had postponed this project indefinitely on 9 December 2018.
The section between Cahaya Baru and Penawar is built as a two-lane expressway (except the Sungai Johor-SDE bridge) while retaining the full access control, making the section as the first true two-lane expressway with full access control in Malaysia.
Senai–Desaru Expressway traverses through the environmentally sensitive water catchment area of Sultan Iskandar Reservoir.