PENANG'S long-awaited North Coastal Paired Road (NCPR) project will soon provide relief from chronic traffic congestion to residents and commuters travelling to Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang.
State infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the 10.61km highway will offer an alternative to the existing single-carriageway Jalan Batu Ferringhi, which often becomes gridlocked, especially during festive seasons and long weekends.
"For far too long, residents and daily commuters have had to endure worsening traffic jams when travelling from the city to Teluk Bahang and Batu Ferringhi, and vice versa," he said on Monday (Sept 8).
"The situation (worsens) during festive seasons and long weekends, when the surge of vehicles heading to the northern part of Penang Island overwhelms the existing single-carriageway coastal road, which is unable to cope with the load.
"There have also been instances where emergency services such as ambulances, fire and rescue, and police faced severe delays in responding to accidents or medical emergencies.
"Accidents, heavy rain, or fallen tree branches along the road also often result in traffic grinding to a halt," he added.
The RM2.9bil project, also known as Package 1 of the Three Major Roads and Tunnel Project awarded in 2013, will comprise 8.41km of road and a 2.2km viaduct over the sea, connecting Tanjong Bungah to Teluk Bahang.
Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed by 2031.
Once it is ready, travel time between Tanjong Bungah and Teluk Bahang will be slashed from 30 to 45 minutes during peak hours to just seven minutes.
The alignment will begin at Jalan Tanjong Bungah, run past the Floating Mosque, traverse the sea before rejoining land near Shamrock, pass through Batu Ferringhi and end at Teluk Bahang.
Consortium Zenith Construction (CZC), the appointed contractor, is currently finalising the detailed design, which will take at least six months, said Zairil.
"Following the updated alignment, an amendment to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study will also be required, with the process anticipated to take approximately 1.5 years.
"In addition, the state government, through the Penang State Economic Planning Unit (BPEN) with the support of the state Legal Department and relevant technical agencies, is finalising both the Supplementary Agreement and the Land Acquisition Cost Agreement (Laca) between the State and CZC.
"The project carries a total cost of RM2.9bil, including RM500mil allocated for land acquisition.
"Land acquisition will commence once the Laca is signed while for state-owned land, construction may proceed immediately after the signing of the Supplementary Agreement," added Zairil.
He said the acquisition process for private lots is estimated to take at least six to 12 months.
