Penang Esplanade's lower walkway temporarily closed due to high tide phenomenon

GEORGE TOWN: The lower walkway of the new Esplanade seawall has been temporarily closed following a high tide phenomenon on Monday (May 16).

Penang Island City Council (MBPP) said on Facebook that its enforcement team had to bar the public from entering the lower walkway after the high tide caused the area to overflow.

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"The public is advised not to use the lower walkway at the Esplanade during high tide for their own safety," said MBPP.

For more information on the high tide, the public can check Malaysia Tidal Gauge Station (STAPS) at https://www.jupem.gov.my/staps/stesen-pulau-pinang-1.

The newly upgraded Esplanade seawall, which was opened on Friday (May 13), has a unique architectural design which features a lower and higher walkway.

When the tide is at its highest, seawater will flow in through slits along the parapet and flood the lower walkway up to about 30cm.

Stretching 460m from the Medan Renong food court to the Royal Malaysian Navy Base, the walkways are now wider and terraced near the Cenotaph Memorial to allow people to get closer to sea and directly access the rocky revetment that is exposed during low tide.