Penang undersea tunnel faces risk of cancellation, says Zenith

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zarul ahmad mohd zulkifli

Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli

KUALA LUMPUR: The Penang undersea tunnel project faces the risk of cancellation following a hold call on its feasibility study by the state government, says Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd Chairman Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli.

He said the Penang government wanted the RM100 million study, which is about 83 per cent completed, to be put on hold indefinitely, without giving any reason.

“We received the directive to stop the feasibility study last month. No reason was given, they just wanted us to focus on constructing the proposed three major roads in the state as quickly as possible,” he told a press conference on the project’s development here today.

Zarul Ahmad also said there was no promise of compensation by the state government if the project were called off.

The undersea tunnel, connecting Persiaran Gurney and Bagan Ajam, is part of the RM6.3 billion Penang Major Road and Tunnel (PMRT) project, an initiative undertaken by the state government to ease traffic congestion.

The project is also projected to spur the state’s economic growth, creating job opportunities, facilitating the transfer of technology and technical skills from a reputable construction company and raising the living standards of the Northern Corridor population.

Consortium Zenith was awarded the project through a tender process.

On the PMRT’s three paired highways, Zarul Ahmad said the project would likely commence in September this year.

Currently, the company is waiting for the last approval from the Department of Environment for the Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment on the project’s feasibility study and detailed design, he said.

With total length of 20.5 km, the three highway packages are the North Coastal Paired Road (connecting Tanjong Bungah and Teluk Bahang), the Ayer Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway Bypass and Persiaran Gurney-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway Bypass.

The project is expected to be completed by 2021.

“The consortium has invested about RM10 million in the feasibility study and detailed design for each road,” Zarul Ahmad added. – Bernama