Penang’s second bridge toll free for March
GEORGE TOWN, March 1 ― Penang’s second bridge and Southeast Asia’s longest now has a name ― Sultan Abdul Halim Mua'dzam Shah Bridge, after the man who twice was appointed as Malaysia’s Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
“This is after all the longest bridge in Southeast Asia so just calling it the ‘second bridge’ will not have much significance therefore it is fitting to name it after the King,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in his speech while opening the 24km-long bridge.
On February 24, a coalition of Islamic NGOs Penang had proposed that the bridge be named after the King.
Najib also announced that the new bridge will be toll free for the first month of its opening but made no mention of the toll rate after that.
The bridge concessionniare, Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB), had said the toll rate, to be decided by Putrajaya, would be less than RM10 but more than the RM7 going rate for the first bridge that measures 13.5km.
The RM4.5 billion bridge, linking Batu Maung on the island to Batu Kawan on the mainland, is expected to ease traffic on the first bridge by about 25 per cent.
This new bridge will be the third link between the island and the mainland, with the ferry service and the first bridge being the first and second links.
It will take motorists about 20 minutes to travel between the island and the mainland using the new bridge.
In his speech, Najib said the idea for the second bridge was mooted in 1995 by the then prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He added that it was Dr Mahathir’s successor, Penang-born Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who decided the bridge should be built on the southern end of the state to “bring development to Batu Kawan, Nibong Tebal and Balik Pulau”.
He also credited Abdullah for continuing the project “for the people of Penang” even after the state had swung to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in Election 2008.
In what seemed a part of his national reconciliation agenda, Najib said that at times, it was important to rise above party politics and do what is right for the people.
“We have grand visions for Malaysia so it is important that despite different political ideas, we should cooperate in the name of nation building and national development,” he said.
The plan for a second bridge was unveiled by Abdullah under the Ninth Malaysia Plan in August 2006.
According to the Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof the bridge will be an alternative route to ease congestion on the first bridge and it is expected to be used by between 80,000 and 100,000 vehicles in a day.
The project kicked off in November 2008 after a nine-month delay due to land acquisition and design issues, in addition to the rising costs of building materials.
Built by China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC) and UEM Builders, the bridge was initially scheduled to complete in 2011, but it was delayed several times before the main span was completed in April 2013.
The opening of the bridge was further delayed when the ramp at the Batu Maung interchange leading to the bridge collapsed in June 2013.
The bridge reached 99 per cent completion by late 2013 and was only fully completed last month.
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