Penang MCA queries tunnels and U-turn along RM850mil expressway
GEORGE TOWN: Questions have been raised over whether two tunnels and an elevated U-turn planned under the RM850mil Air Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass are still part of the project, with Penang MCA claiming they are “missing” from the latest plans.
State MCA secretary Yeoh Chin Kah called on the state government to clarify the status of the proposed structures.
Citing a report by state publisher Buletin Mutiara dated June 10, 2023, Yeoh said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had stated that the bypass would include two tunnels at Bukit Gambir and Changkat Delima, each measuring about 300m to 400m.
He claimed that while the project had reached 91% completion, observations found no visible evidence of the tunnels at their planned locations, and in the video released by the state government earlier this month.
“The elevated U-turn is nowhere to be clearly seen in either the publicly available plans or the actual site condition.
“If they have been cancelled, what will happen to the allocation originally meant for the works? Will the funds be returned to public coffers or reallocated?” he asked.
Yeoh said any structural changes involving large-scale public works must be transparent and should not be brushed aside as mere technical adjustments.
He renewed the party’s call for the state government to disclose payment records, technical drawings and documents relating to any revisions made to the bypass.
He also called for the release of the original engineering drawings, latest revised plans, records approving any design changes involving the tunnels, as well as a breakdown of any cost increases or savings.
“The public deserves greater transparency,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Also present were Penang MCA committee members Chooi Foo Cheong and Ooi Teik Liang, election preparation and scrutiny committee vice-chairman Chan Wooi Jin and Chinese associations liaison chief Khoo Soon Hin.
On the project’s status, Yeoh claimed that conditions on the ground did not match the level of completion announced by the state government.
“Several sections remained incomplete, including disconnected flyovers, unpaved bridge decks and missing guardrails and sound barriers,” he alleged.
He urged the state government to explain when the bypass would be completed and outline measures to address persistent traffic congestion in Air Itam.
Yeoh said Penang MCA would lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission if the documents were not made public, seeking an investigation into possible project mismanagement or improper payment procedures.
The 6km toll-free bypass, known as Package Two of the Penang undersea tunnel and three paired roads project, links Lebuhraya Thean Teik in Bandar Baru Air Itam with the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway via elevated viaducts, tunnels and ground-level roads.
Originally scheduled for completion in 2024, the project has since received two extensions, with the latest completion date set for April 12, 2027.
Once completed, the bypass is expected to ease congestion and shorten travel times for about 300,000 residents by providing a direct link from Air Itam and Paya Terubong to the expressway without passing through George Town.
When contacted, Penang infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said he would look into the matter and respond today.
