Highway project kicks off

An artist’s impression of the Jalan Bukit Gambir interchange.

BY 2023, driving from Bandar Baru Ayer Itam to Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu will take just a brisk five minutes, compared to 40 minutes today.

A new 5.7km toll-free road costing RM851mil with 1.8km on the ground and the other parts elevated will cut the driving time.

There will be three interchanges at Lebuhraya Thean Teik-Jalan Thean Teik, Jalan Bukit Gambir- Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and at Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said preliminary work on the project including land clearing has started. Major construction will begin next April and the bypass is expected to be completed by April 2023.

(From left) Azmi and Chow taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ayer Itam-Lebuhraya Tun Lim Chong Eu bypass at Bandar Baru Ayer Itam.

“Construction will take 36 months and it will be toll-free and maintained by the state.

“While construction is ongoing, there will be temporary lanes to ensure road space is maintained.

“Once completed, it will cater up to 7,000 cars per lane per hour, ” said Chow after the ground- breaking ceremony in Bandar Baru Ayer Itam on Saturday.

Also present were Penang deputy state secretary Datuk Azhar Arshad, Penang Island City Council mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang and Consortium Zenith Construction (CZC) senior executive directors Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli and Datuk Lee Chee Hoe.

The road is the second package of three paired roads under the RM6.3bil undersea tunnel project.

A map showing the Package 2 bypass project from Ayer Itam to Lebuhraya Tun Lim Chong Eu.

The state signed the sub-agreement to kickstart the project with CZC chairman Tan Sri Azmi Khalid at Komtar on Oct 11.

CZC won the concession in an open tender in 2013, where cost of the tunnel and the three roads are to be paid through in kind with 44.5ha of land in Gurney Wharf.

The other two roads in the pipeline are Tanjung Bungah-Teluk Bahang (10.53km) and Jalan Pangkor-Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu (4.1km).

The 7.2km undersea tunnel will connect George Town’s Pangkor Road and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth. It is scheduled to begin in 2023 after feasibility studies.