Photo for illustration only

The RM33 million Mount Erskine underpass project in Penang will be redesigned to incorporate a tunnel, avoiding the need to excavate a busy road and minimise traffic disruption during construction.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu said the original plan to excavate the road would have required major road closures, affecting motorists travelling along Mount Erskine, Jalan Gottlieb, Jalan Burma and Jalan Bagan Jermal.

“If we close the roads, there will be even more complaints,” she said during a Dewan Rakyat special chamber session in response to a question from Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid.

Aiman said the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), which oversees the project, had completed land acquisition and appointed consultants to prepare the design.

The project was initially announced with an estimated cost of RM25 million under last year’s federal budget. However, the Penang government subsequently sought RM33 million for the project during a meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in March last year.

The federal government initially approved RM5 million for preliminary works this year before granting the full RM33 million on June 9, following MBPP’s completion of the preliminary work ahead of schedule.

Aiman stressed that the project had not been delayed and remained in the technical preparation phase to ensure construction safety and quality.

The design is expected to be completed by December 2026, with the tender process scheduled to begin in February 2027 and close by the end of March. The contractor is expected to be appointed in June, with site possession scheduled for July 2027.

The proposed tunnel will measure approximately 780m long and 8m wide, with completion targeted for November 2030.