Possible delay in Penang three paired roads project
The construction of one of the roads in the Penang government’s three paired roads project, which is part of the controversial RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project, is expected to be delayed.
State Public Works, Utilities and Public Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng blamed the possible delay due to an ongoing investigation by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).
He said the Penang government had planned to begin the construction of the road from Tanjung Bungah to Batu Ferringhi by June.
He said it could be delayed further, despite already having received the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval by the Department of Environment (DOE) late last year.
“We need to conduct land acquisition first (before we begin the construction). According to the plan, it (the project) should begin by June.
“But with the MACC investigation, we are now unsure. It may be delayed,” he said.
The DAP-led Penang government had proposed to build three paired roads on the island, and said this was to alleviate traffic congestion especially during peak hours.
The proposed highway roads included the 10.53km north coastal paired roads from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang, the 5.7km paired road from Air Itam to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass, and a 4.075km paired road from Gurney Drive to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass.
The paired roads project is one of two components under the proposed RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project. The other is the 7.2km undersea tunnel linking Gurney Drive on the island and Bagan Ajam on the mainland.
The tunnel project had raised numerous controversies in recent months, especially the high RM305 million price tag for the technical studies as well as a 22-month delay.
The controversial project is now a subject of an MACC investigation. To date, four people, including a Datuk Seri, two Datuks and a female engineering consultant, have been detained in the probe.
Meanwhile Lim also confirmed that the Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang road would run through the 1.62ha forest reserve in Teluk Bahang, as revealed by Penang Gerakan recently.
Source: New Straits Times Online
With so many hindrances, one would wonder can the roads be built after all ?
It’s rather sad to see Penang with such high rate of growth must endure all sorts of nonsense.
“high rate of growth”?? Growth in what? Illegal ponzi schemes? That’s the only thing I see growing in Penang. All other legitimate industries are stunted.
well at least medical tourism is booming, specially for the blind…
@Oh nice
Pockets of growth, yes, but definitely not “high rate of growth”. And by the way, I wouldn’t call it medical tourism, it’s more like just a “cross border medical trip” as the source of customers is too narrowly limited to just indonesians, maybe something like singaporeans going over to JB for weekend grocery shopping.
@Raech
haha, you wrote ” Illegal ponzi schemes, the only thing I see growing in Penang” …Please wrote base on fact lar…
why bother with the source of patients as long as there is money flowing into the state…?
@Raech
haha, you wrote ” Illegal ponzi schemes, the only thing I see growing in Penang” …Please write base on fact lar…
why bother with the source of patients as long as there is money flowing into the state…?
@Oh nice
It seems the E & E manufacturing factories at Bayan Lepas are performing extremely well as I was told ? The next raise of wages are in the pipeline also ?
@Oh nice
“why bother….”, because it does not justify for the building of tunnel, that’s why!..Hahaha. Illegal ponzi schemes are a real threat to the well being of our state. Thousands of young people with “money dreams” are getting sucked into such activities, forsaking proper employment in real and sustainable industries. Young people who are still studying at colleges are already being recruited to sell ponzi products to relatives.
If we dont do something now to make it right, the future of Penang will be bleak. In 15 years to come, talented and well educated Penangites would have left this place seeking better job prospects (already happening now in fact), leaving behind the less educated (because they were too busy with money games back in college instead of acquiring knowledge) still trying to “outcheat” each other in kampung penang. :))))