THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has imposed several traffic diversions and ordered contractors of the Mutiara Light Rail Transit (LRT) project to conduct major roadworks only at night to mitigate the worsening traffic congestion on the island.
George Town Lord Mayor and MBPP president Datuk Anthony Rajendran said that the new mitigation measures were needed to cope with the increasing work on the LRT project, spanning from the Silicon Island reclamation towards Komtar in George Town.
The Mutiara LRT Line is Penang's first light rail transit system, stretching approximately 29.5 kilometres with 21 to 22 stations connecting Silicon Island and the international airport in Bayan Lepas, George Town (Komtar) and across the straits to Penang Sentral in Butterworth.
Rajendran told a press conference that the diversion at strategic spots such as Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Sungai Nibong, as well as the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, were essential to coordinate traffic flow.
"For commercial stretches with heavy traffic volume, MBPP has directed the SRS Consortium (LRT project delivery partner) to only commence work from 11 pm (until 6 am) daily. There is a need to be patient," the mayor said after chairing the MBPP full council meeting.
For housing estate localities, Rajendran said that it is permissible for work to be done during office hours.
He stressed that all earthworks would be a temporary process, and the contractors would be compelled to complete work as soon as possible.
Rajendran also noted the constant congestion in Jalan Scotland, which is interconnected to Jalan Residensi, near the Penang Hospital epi centre.
MBPP allows parking from Jalan Sepoy Lines to Jalan Hargreaves.
But it will disallow parking near the traffic light junctions at Jalan Residensi, Jalan Macalister, Lebuhraya Codrington and Lebuhraya Peel because it is located too close to road junctions, so stationary cars would compound the congestion here, said Rajendran.
He expects the congestion to ease when the Penang Hospital readies 400 parking bays at its multi - storey car parking facility.
The hospital, regarded as a main referral centre in the northern region, is now undergoing expansion works and renovations.
Meanwhile, the LRT project owner, MRT Corporation, said that intermittent partial lane closures along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah here will be implemented from now until November 15 to facilitate construction works for the LRT main line.
The closures would be carried out for 45 days from 10 pm to 5 am daily to facilitate tree - felling works.
"The closures will involve the leftmost lane between the Jalan Sungai Dua intersection and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Padang heading towards Komtar, as well as the leftmost lane between Batu Uban Army Camp and Sunny Point heading towards Bayan Lepas.
"The rightmost lane between Batu Uban Army Camp and the traffic light intersection in both directions will also be closed. However, the other lanes will remain open to traffic," it said. – October 1, 2026
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