Penang unveils RM8b traffic mitigation blueprint
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 — The Penang government today announced an ambitious RM8 billion plan to construct four major road and tunnel projects that aim to reduce traffic congestion in the state.
Touting it as the state government’s biggest infrastructure exercise to date, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the projects — all of which will be conducted via open tender — will also allow greater access between the island and the mainland.
The proposed projects are a third (tunnel) link connecting Gurney Drive to Seberang Perai North District, a by-pass connecting Gurney Drive to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway, a link between Bandar Baru Air Itam to the same expressway, as well as a paired road to the existing coastal road from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang.
“We need a northern link connecting Gurney Drive to Butterworth, to make it easier for people in the mainland to come to the island, and this will ease up congestion in addition to the two Penang bridges.
“The estimated costs for this project will be between RM5 [and] RM8 billion and expected to be completed by 2020,” Lim told reporters here.
The Penang CM said the state government will not provide any payments for the projects, and that the costs incurred will be recovered through a “competitive land swap” deals with prospective companies.
Lim said his administration will provide a preliminary financial proposal that will include the planned financing structure as well as bids to recover costs.
“The proposed land swap will involve the best prime land in Penang, which is in Gurney… the price of land in Penang will increase over the next few years, and this will benefit the companies who will undertake the road and tunnel projects.”
He also said his administration was also looking at the possibility of conducting a toll system for the projects once they are completed, but added this was provisional and would depend on what interested companies had to offer.
A pre-qualification exercise briefing for prospective companies will be held in Penang on November 29. Application and questionnaire pro-forma forms will be given out then and bidders must submit the forms by 12pm, January 2012.
Works will tentatively begin sometime in 2015.
Source: The Malaysian Insider
Mr Lim, we have to jam for 8 more years.
If this is China, they’ll start their work by end of 2011 and completed by 2013.
Perhaps he should learn to “learn from east”
I think this is the best solution with limitation resources. CM Lim, we are supporting you.
it should have been done during Bo hood’s era, 18 years wasted on him
No, this whole thing is completely wrong. Penang contributed 26bil of tax revenue to the country, top-4 state for this purpose, but only getting 800mil in return, a pathetic 3%. In fact this kind of infrastucture upgrading works should be funded fully by federal instead of through the land-swap deal. The opposition state government is trying to get things done in their own way but this is through the stake of the imbalance and un-fair of whole funding system. This practice should not persist as there aren’y much land left for a swap in the future, not to mention the golden land-bank along the south-eastern coastline such as Bayan Mutiara, gurney, tg toking etc. The state govrnment must negotiate their way through with the federal else the benefit and welfare of penangite will continue to be jeorpadized.
After all, I think what Penang need the most is the light transit system instead of more highway or links. The inland transportation system has to be resolved first before open up for more external connection. just my 2 cents..
wayang
Bo Hood beh yong. Ou Hood lau chak.
Cannot be trusted..
Both dua kali lima. Beh Yong.
ha ha ha, Really boh ?
Announced and launched so many projects, which one already completed ?
Paper talk only la. Sure can’t materialize one la. Tua paw one la.
Tu, they say ‘WIll’ start mid 2018. And that is a gigantic ‘WILL’ i hv completely lost trust with this empty promises.