GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government has not ruled out the possibility of building a third bridge connecting the mainland and the island, pending the official presentation of the undersea tunnel’s feasibility studies.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said at present, feasibility studies involving the undersea tunnel have been completed and will be presented during the state exco meeting after receiving feedback from technical agencies.
“Regarding the proposal to replace the undersea tunnel with a bridge, at this point the feasibility study conducted by Consortium Zenith Construction (CZC) is for the undersea tunnels only and not for any bridges,” he said in a statement today.
Chow’s response comes after a local daily reported last Saturday that the controversial undersea tunnel project will most likely be scrapped and replaced with an elevated bridge that would cost less in terms of money and environmental impact.
ECK Development group managing director Tan Sri Khor Eng Chuen reportedly said it is more viable to build an elevated bridge because it is more cost effective and environmentally friendly than the undersea tunnel.
ECK Development is a majority stakeholder in CZC, the special purpose vehicle set to undertake the undersea tunnel project.
Meanwhile, Chow said the total cost for a detailed feasibility study and design for the four packages (three highways and an undersea tunnel) amounts to RM305 million.
However, he said, only RM208 million had been paid through the “land exchange” method to the CZC contractor – for a feasibility study and detailed design for the three highways only.
“No payment has been made for the tunnel under the seabed because the feasibility study has not been received and approved by the state government.”
The Penang undersea tunnel is one of four infrastructure projects under the Penang Transport Master Plan to ease the island’s chronic traffic congestion.
The proposed highway projects include the 4.2km Gurney Drive-Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Bypass, the 4.6km Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu-Bandar Baru Air Itam Bypass, and the 12km Tg Bungah-Teluk Bahang paired road. – The Vibes, September 27, 2021
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