GEORGE TOWN: The RM850mil Air Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass project has reached 91.8% overall physical completion, with a major construction milestone achieved following the successful installation of all four precast U-beams for the first span of Bridge 4.
Penang infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the beam launching works for Bridge 4 Span 1 were completed on Wednesday (July 15).
"The installation was carried out in two shifts. Beams one and two were lifted between 10am and noon, while beams three and four were installed from 8pm until 6am the following morning," he said in a statement on Thursday (July 16).
He said the remaining beam launching works at Bridge 4 would continue with Span 3 on July 27, followed by Span 2 on July 28 and 29.
"Each beam measures between 48.93m and 50.47m in length and weighs between 146.8 tonnes and 151.5 tonnes.
"Due to their size and weight, the beams were launched using a tandem lifting method involving a 600-tonne crane as the main crane and a 550-tonne crane as the supporting crane," he said.
Zairil said the operations were carried out under strict safety procedures as they involved heavy-duty cranes, high-risk lifting works and periodic temporary road closures.
"Operational and logistical planning was carefully coordinated to ensure every beam launch was carried out safely," he said.
As of June 15, the project had achieved an overall physical progress of 91.8%.
Describing the Package Two bypass as Penang's biggest infrastructure project, Zairil said it would improve traffic mobility, strengthen the state's transport network and become a new landmark in Penang's transportation connectivity.
The 6km toll-free bypass, also known as Package Two of the Penang undersea tunnel and paired roads project, links Lebuhraya Thean Teik in Farlim with the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway through a combination of elevated viaducts, tunnels and ground-level roads.
The project was originally targeted for completion in 2024 but has since received two extensions of time, with the latest completion date set for April 12, 2027.
Once completed, it is expected to ease congestion and shorten travel time for about 300,000 residents in Air Itam, Bandar Baru Air Itam and Paya Terubong.
