GEORGE TOWN, Nov 14 — The Penang undersea tunnel project, long on hold, has not been abandoned and remains under technical review, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow told the state legislative assembly today.
He said the state is also refining the design for the project, including a proposed bridge option to replace the tunnel.
Chow, who is the Padang Kota assemblyman, said the state government has never announced any plan to cancel the project under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) since it was first proposed in 2011.
“Last week, during the state exco meeting, there was a presentation on the project to address various technical issues,” he said in response to an oral question from Telok Ayer Tawar assemblyman Azmi Alang (Bersatu) on the status of the undersea tunnel.
He stressed that the state government has never stated that the project would not proceed or that it would be scrapped.
“Among the issues we are looking into include a proposal to build a bridge as a replacement, and the height of the structure must not affect Penang Port operations as well as its proximity to the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth,” he said.
He said these are technical matters that must be addressed before the project can move forward.
“Under the agreement, they will not proceed with the project until all parties agree to the alignment, design, financial arrangements and other aspects,” he said.
Chow said the project is still considered an “active” state initiative.
The 6.5km undersea tunnel and three paired roads are part of the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan.
Construction works for one of the paired roads, Package Two, linking Air Itam to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, are currently underway.
Earlier this year, Package One — the alignment for the North Coastal Paired Road (NCPR) linking Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang — received approval, with works expected to begin soon.
The undersea tunnel, proposed as a third link between Penang island and Butterworth, is aimed at easing congestion on the existing Penang Bridge.
