GEORGE TOWN: The proposed Pan Island Link (PIL) has moved into the feasibility study stage at the federal government level, with the Works Ministry in the process of appointing a consultant.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow cited a Dewan Rakyat reply in a statement on Thurs (Feb 12), saying the project was approved under Rolling Plan 1 of the 13th Malaysia Plan but remained at an early stage.
“The ministry is planning the procurement process for the appointment of a consultant to undertake the feasibility study,” he said, referring to the written answer to his oral question on Feb 10.
Chow, who is Batu Kawan MP, had asked the Works Minister to detail progress on traffic and land use studies for the PIL and other public works projects.
The PIL, previously referred to as PIL1, was conceived as a 19.5km high-speed bypass linking the North Coastal Paired Road, Gurney Expressway, Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, Penang International Airport and both Penang bridges.
The alignment along the eastern side of Penang island's hill range combines tunnels, to reduce impact on the hill range, and elevated viaducts, with six planned interchanges at Gurney Drive, Jalan Utama, Paya Terubong, Relau, Jalan Tun Dr Awang and the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.
It was designed to cut travel time between Gurney Drive and the airport to about 15 minutes. The project’s Environmental Impact Assessment was approved in 2019.
