Elevated bridge alternative

The original plan: The Star’s artist’s rendition of the Undersea Tunnel Project in Penang.

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government’s controversial undersea tunnel project looks likely to be scrapped for an elevated bridge that would be much less costly in terms of both money and environmental impact.

The mega project has been mired in controversy from the day then chief minister Lim Guan Eng first announced it in 2011, with the local community complaining about the impact on the livelihood of fishermen and possible erosion of the coastline.