GEORGE TOWN – The new walkway beneath the newly restored seawall of the Esplanade in Padang Kota Lama is designed to allow pedestrians to only take strolls on it during low tide.
Hamdan Abdul Majeed, managing director of the project’s consultant Think City Sdn Bhd said that the design is meant to protect the original seawall which was built in the 1790s as well as to provide a footpath for people to walk by during low tide.
“We want the people to appreciate this seawall which has withstood the waves of time, but it was eroding, so we stepped in to restore it.”
There was no design fault, Hamdan said in response to reports yesterday on the pathway becoming flooded instantly during high tide.
Hamdan explained that the designers had constructed the 570m pathway, which is just across the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) building here, as a protective barrier to conserve and protect the original seawall.
“Someone made this a mountain-out-of-a-molehill situation. There never was an issue in the first place. All projects undertaken by Think City are professionally crafted,” Hamdan said, adding that there is a long list of successful conservation and originally restored projects which the government-linked company has undertaken in recent years.
The scenic Esplanade is believed to be among the oldest recreational seafronts in the country. It rose in about the same era that the Fort Cornwallis nearby was erected.
The 2km long stretch is also part of the Unesco World Heritage Site, which was awarded to George Town in 2008.
Think City, a Khazanah Bhd subsidiary, is involved in urban renewal initiatives in the Klang Valley, Penang and Butterworth.
It also acts as a conservator to Penang’s sprawling heritage zone here.
As part of the George Town Conservation Development Corporation, Think City is involved in the northern sea restoration project, which includes upgrading the Esplanade field, the refurbishing of the historic water fountain, and the restoration of the 2km seawall which stretches up to the Penang Port.
Speaking to journalists here, Hamdan said that the seawall features a two-tiered walkway which incorporates a trench that takes in water from outside the seawall during high tide.
Meanwhile, MBPP advised the public to avoid being too near the waterfront during high tide as a safety precaution.
Lord Mayor and MBPP president Datuk Yew Tung Seang said that the seawall provides protection against the open sea through a network of subterranean drainage systems that help channel water from inland out to sea.
Meanwhile, MBPP in a statement cited its disapproval for contractors to conduct renovation works at warehouses 7 and 8 at the Swettenham Pier here without approval.
The council will issue a show cause letter to the owner of the warehouses on this matter.
Anything to do with restoration and renovation in the heritage enclave needs prior approval from the council and this includes the owners, MBPP said.
The works apparently occurred near the now disused Tanjong City Marina, where the former yacht holding facility is now faced with erosion due to the changing tides. – The Vibes, May 18, 2022
