GEORGE TOWN: The land reclamation for the Silicon Island project here is progressing smoothly, with 28 hectares of the total 931 hectares planned for the island reclaimed so far.
Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farizan Darus announced that 2.4 hectares of the reclaimed area have been designated for the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) Depot.
He said the reclamation work for the remaining depot area will proceed as scheduled and is expected to be handed over to MRT Corporation, the project's implementing agency, by December 2025.
"To accelerate the soil or sand settlement process, we have used the Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) method.
"The PVDs are installed to a depth of nearly 12 metres into the sand, through which water is extracted from beneath the sea. This speeds up the settlement process compared to conventional methods, allowing construction work to begin sooner," he explained to reporters during a site visit to the Silicon Island project on Tuesday (Dec 10).
He said starting next year, the goal is to reclaim approximately 120 to 160 hectares of land annually, and currently, five sand barges are being used to transport soil to the project site around the clock.
He added that a temporary bridge connecting Silicon Island to the Penang mainland, to facilitate logistics for infrastructure work on-site, is under construction and expected to be completed by March 2025.
“This temporary bridge will be a construction access route on Silicon Island until the permanent bridge is open for public use,” he said, adding that the permanent four-lane one-way bridge will be completed in two phases.
He further explained that the first phase would open for two-way traffic by mid-2027, and the remaining sections would be fully completed by the end of 2028.
In line with the "15-Minute City" concept, Farizan said the Mutiara Line LRT will connect Silicon Island to the mainland, promoting a 70:30 ratio of public to private transportation modes.
"Alongside the LRT, autonomous electric trams, e-buses, and water taxis will be part of the island's integrated green transport system, further enhancing connectivity and sustainability," he elaborated.
He also said that, in addition to its infrastructure, Silicon Island is expected to bring significant economic benefits, not only to Penang but to Malaysia as a whole, by attracting high-value investments, creating job opportunities, and strengthening the state's position as a competitive economic hub in the region.
Meanwhile, Farizan reported that 722 out of 877 fishermen registered under the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) have received their full ex-gratia payments, while the remaining recipients are in the process of document renewal, have passed away, or are inactive.
"The remaining eligible recipients with valid documents will be paid by the end of this month. All 77 eligible skippers from the Permatang Tepi Laut unit have also received new boats and engines.
"The next phase will involve active skippers from Sungai Batu, Gertak Sanggul, and Teluk Kumbar," he said. - Bernama
