Construction starts on Second Penang Bridge

The good news today is that construction work on the second Penang Bridge has officially started. This comes after a delay of about onew year during which time, the cost of the bridge kept bumping upwards.

In a simple ceremony yesterday at Batu Maung, China Harbour Engineering Company, which was awarded the letter of acceptance on Oct 20 for the first of three packages, commenced work. This package is worth RM2.2bil contract and covers the design and building of the main navigation span (a 475m-long cable stayed bridge) and the substructure and foundation works of the 15.9km approach spans.

The bridge is 23km long of which 16.37km will be above water. From the artist's impressions, it will look remarkably similar to the present Penang Bridge. The biggest surprise is the scrapping of the two viewing platforms in the original design. It's a pity, of course, because motorists will be unable to break journey and take in the breath-taking wide vista from the middle of the southern Channel. It's also a pity because Penang will no longer have its Twin Teats.

Nevertheless, it was a pragmatic decision to lower the construction cost which was threatening to balloon beyond anyone's imagination. So now, the bridge will only have a dual carriageway with two lanes and a motorcycle lane on each side. Its width will be 29.8m for the approach spans and 35.6m for the main navigation span. Speed limit will be 80kph, just like the present bridge.

The whole project is scheduled to complete by 7 May 2012 but Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng is hoping that construction can finish ahead of schedule by the end of 2011. "It is indeed an historic moment for the people of Penang as the second bridge project has finally started."