Paired roads project to be completed in 2025
GEORGE TOWN: Work on three paired roads which are part of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) will begin next year with the targeted completion in seven years time.
Several measures have been identified to ease the massive traffic congestion and gridlock during the construction of new roads, elevated highways, tunnel and underpass under the paired roads project.
Work on other components of the PTMP such as the undersea tunnel is only expected to start after a few years with construction work on the first one, the 5.7km Ayer Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass to begin in the first quarter of 2019.
Others are the 4.075km Gurney Drive-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass and the 10.53km North Coastal Paired Road (NCPR) from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang. The route for the Gurney Drive-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway would see two tunnels at Jalan Pangkor, each going two different directions.
The tunnel would pass Perak Road and emerge at Jalan Sungai Pinang, leading to a stacked flyover with two elevated roads on top of each other.
The road would then end at the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway at the Sungai Pinang interchange.
State Works Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the Department of Environment (DoE) had approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for the project on Nov 7 last year with 59 conditions to be adhered to by the contractors.
Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZC), the contractors of the project must follow related guidelines on the concept – preparation of an environmental plan management before construction, control on erosion, slope stability, ensuring water and air quality and having sound barriers in place.
Zairil said other measures included controlled blasting, waste disposal management, periodical environmental auditing and other administrative issues.
“We are looking at a completion date of seven years as some of the construction on the three paired roads could run concurrently as we need not wait for each one to be completed,” said Zairil at a press conference at Komtar yesterday.
Project consultants YES Enviro Services Sdn Bhd team leader Lee Aik Heng said every single engineering detail is being looked into before the preparation of the Environmental Ma nagement Plan.
“Other than the EIA Report, the contractor would also have to get approval from various technical agencies overseeing the project before commencing work.”
The projects, said Lee would cross 21 rivers, 35 sensitive residential areas and 54 areas with noise impact but would strictly adhere to the DoE guidelines on self regulation.
On a question if stringent measures are in place to withstand a climate change or a massive freak storm such as on Nov 4 and 5 last year during construction work next seven years, Lee said such measures were already in place to ensure such incidents does not happen.