PIL 1 project not in violation of PWD guidelines: Penang CM

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow says the detailed design for PIL 1 will need to go through a number of approval processes, including from

the Public Works Department (PWD), before it could be adopted for execution. – NSTP/File pic

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government said the purported error in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the proposed Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1) highway on its slope design was nothing more than an oversight.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the purported design flaw, which was pointed out by Penang Forum committee member Khoo Salma Nasution, was not a cause for concern as it was only part of a preliminary design.

The detailed design for PIL 1 will need to go through a number of approval processes, including from the Public Works Department (PWD), before it could be adopted for execution, he said.

Khoo Salma had said that in Volume 2 of the PIL 1 EIA report, there would be 29 berms on the slope for the highway project.

She had said that the PWD only allowed a maximum of six berms, according to its guidelines.

A berm is a level space, shelf or raised barrier separating two areas. It can serve as a fortification line or a border/separation barrier.

In response, Chow stressed that it was only a preliminary design and the state government would comply with the guidelines of the PWD.

“It is a valid argument as it was mentioned in the report. However, we want to clarify that the submission for the Department of Environment (DOE) approval contained only the preliminary design, which are software-generated. The 29 berms are almost impossible, engineering-wise.

“The detailed design will be worked on now and the final design will use retaining structures to reduce the number of slopes as the PWD’s requirement.

‘The detailed design will go through a number of approval processes, including that of PWD, before the design is adopted for execution,” he told newsmen.

The 19.5km PIL 1 highway alignment will consist of 7.6km of viaduct sections, four tunnel sections totalling 10.1km in length, and embankment sections measuring 1.8km long.

The PIL 1 alignment will stretch from Gurney Drive to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway near the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone area.

Six interchanges are proposed along the alignment to disperse traffic efficiently at strategic locations.

The project faced numerous objections especially from non-governmental organisations, including Penang Forum.

Chow recently announced that the DOE had granted conditional approval for the project’s EIA report with 56 conditions to be complied with when implementing the project.

On a separate matter, Chow said that the state government was still in the ‘hunt’ for the approval of the proposed light rail transit (LRT) project.

“We are still hoping to secure approval from the Federal. Once we obtain the approval, we have to come up with the design and put in display for three months to take inputs from stakeholders.

“The Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) will then make the final decision on the alignment and the stations,” he said, adding that there were substantial works to be done even after approval was given.

Chow was quoted as saying recently that the proposed LRT project for the state would begin next year.