Cable stay bridge for PIL 1

Chow (third right) leaving the hall with several backbenchers and state officials for a break during the state assembly sitting held at Dewan Sri Pinang, George Town. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

PART of the highway under the Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1) project that would pass through the City Park in George Town, Penang, will be in the form of a 250m-long cable stay bridge.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said studies had shown that such a design would have very minimal impact on the surroundings with the beams only erected outside the vicinity of the park.

He said the bridge would also help reduce the need for beams required for the section which goes through the park.

Chow was replying an oral question from Jason Ong Khan Lee (PH-Kebun Bunga) who asked if the state would reconsider the alignment at City Park under PIL 1.

(From right) Elected representatives Heng Lee Lee (PH-Berapit), Mohd Yusni Mat Piah (PAS-Penaga), Opposition Leader Muhamad Yusoff Mohd
Noor (BN-Sungai Dua) and Zulkifli Ibrahim (PH-Sungai Acheh) enjoying durians during tea break at the state assembly.

“The cable stay bridge has been incorporated in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report as part of a mitigation plan to assess the impact on the environment.

“The bridge proposal had been deliberated and assessed by the Department of Environment before the conditional EIA report was approved by the department,” said Chow at the state assembly sitting on Monday.

He said the state decided on the bridge after studying different types of structure and design for the City Park section of PIL 1.

The state received the EIA approval for PIL 1 with 56 conditions early this month.

The controversial RM7.5bil highway project stretches 19.5km between Gurney Drive and the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway near the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Phase lV.