View Full Version : PenangBridge1:WideningWoes!
The Star: 21st. Sept. 2004
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Government has decided to widen the Penang Bridge instead of building a second link from the mainland to the island.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the existing bridge would be widened from its present four-lane carriageway to a six-lane carriageway.
“Due to the high cost involved to build a second link, we have decided to widen the existing bridge instead.
“This measure is expected to cope with traffic volume for the next five to six years,” he told reporters after handing over the Jalur Gemilang to the Asean Skills Competition delegation at his ministry.
Samy Vellu said a decision would be made by then on whether to build the second link.
He said the cost of widening the present bridge had yet to be determined.
“Work will start on the road widening once a decision has been made on how much it would cost and who will pay for it,” he added.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed had last week been quoted as saying that the Federal Government had approved the proposed multi-billion ringgit Second Link project connecting Penang island and the mainland.
He had said the link had been identified as one of the projects under the five-year 9th Malaysia Plan, which starts in 2006.
On the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), Samy Vellu said the evaluation by independent consultant, Roger J. Buckby from the Halcrow Group Ltd, Britain was expected to be submitted to his ministry by the end of this week, with recommendations on remedial measures to be taken.
On the Asean Skills Competition, Samy Vellu said a delegation was leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam today to participate in the week-long event.
“Twenty four participants will be competing in this event, which the Government has spent RM300,000 to train and prepare them for,” he said.
The Star: 21st. Sept. 2004
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Government has decided to widen the Penang Bridge instead of building a second link from the mainland to the island.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the existing bridge would be widened from its present four-lane carriageway to a six-lane carriageway.
“Due to the high cost involved to build a second link, we have decided to widen the existing bridge instead.
“This measure is expected to cope with traffic volume for the next five to six years,” he told reporters after handing over the Jalur Gemilang to the Asean Skills Competition delegation at his ministry.
Samy Vellu said a decision would be made by then on whether to build the second link.
He said the cost of widening the present bridge had yet to be determined.
“Work will start on the road widening once a decision has been made on how much it would cost and who will pay for it,” he added.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed had last week been quoted as saying that the Federal Government had approved the proposed multi-billion ringgit Second Link project connecting Penang island and the mainland.
He had said the link had been identified as one of the projects under the five-year 9th Malaysia Plan, which starts in 2006.
On the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), Samy Vellu said the evaluation by independent consultant, Roger J. Buckby from the Halcrow Group Ltd, Britain was expected to be submitted to his ministry by the end of this week, with recommendations on remedial measures to be taken.
On the Asean Skills Competition, Samy Vellu said a delegation was leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam today to participate in the week-long event.
“Twenty four participants will be competing in this event, which the Government has spent RM300,000 to train and prepare them for,” he said.
This report is interesting because it shows the bridge widening is already in progress. What the quote above appears not to say is that the central suspension bridge already has six lanes, but the approach viaducts either side are currently only 4-lane. However, these viaducts cross shallow waters that are (probably?) comparatively easy to pile drive:
Ministry Rejects Proposal To Ban Heavy Vehicles From Penang Bridge
SUNGAI SIPUT, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The Works Ministry has rejected a proposal to ban heavy vehicles from the Penang Bridge during peak hours to overcome traffic congestion.
Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the ministry was not in favour of such a move as it could affect businesses and industries.
"We can't do that and we'll not allow it to happen because all the lorries are there for business and not for fun," he told reporters after opening the Perak Health Department's Quality Day here Friday.
The proposal was mooted by Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire of the Penang Bridge.
Samy said the left lanes in both directions would be dedicated to heavy vehicles once the project to widen the bridge was completed in March 2008.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
This report is interesting because it shows the bridge widening is already in progress. What the quote above appears not to say is that the central suspension bridge already has six lanes, but the approach viaducts either side are currently only 4-lane. However, these viaducts cross shallow waters that are (probably?) comparatively easy to pile drive:
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
October 23, 2007 23:16 PM
Penang Bridge's Third Lane Ready By Aug 2009
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- A third lane on the either side of the Penang Bridge is expected to be completed by August 2009, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu says.
He said the lane would probably be designated for heavy vehicles to overcome congestion on the bridge.
Speaking to reporters in Seri Kembangan today, he said that in the meantime, heavy vehicles would still be allowed to use the Penang Bridge even during peak periods.
Any plan to ban heavy vehicles from using the bridge would adversely affect business activities, he said. "After studying the proposal, we have decided to reject it and retain the existing rules," he said.
Congestion on the Penang Bridge would also be overcomed when the second bridge was completed, he said.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
2007/11/21
Penang bridge safe, says Samy Vellu
KUALA LUMPUR, WED:
The Penang Bridge is safe and free of any serious cracks which can render the bridge unsafe, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.
In a statement issued here today, he said the appointed engineering consultant had confirmed the bridge structure to be strong and that it was safe.
Yesterday, Sungai Dua assemblyman Datuk Jasmin Mohamed, during the Penang State Assembly sitting, claimed that there were serious cracks on the Penang Bridge.
Samy Vellu said the concessionare of the bridge, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB), also monitored routine maintenance work on the bridge to ensure its safety.
“So, the people don’t have to be afraid to use the bridge,” he said.
Samy Vellu said the piling work to widen the bridge was being carried out carefully according to specifications so that it would not affect the existing bridge structure.
The 13.5km Penang Bridge, is the longest bridge in Southeast Asia and third longest in the world.
The construction began in 1982 and completed in 1985 at a cost of RM850 million.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/NewsBreak/20071121190519/Article/index_html
Cracks on Penang Bridge repaired
By NIK KHUSAIRI IBRAHIM
PENANG: Penang Bridge is structurally safe although cracks were noted in several locations, said state public works committee chairman Datuk Koay Kar Huah.
Koay said the bridge was structurally safe because the cracks, which exceeded 1mm, were all located in non-critical areas.
"The cracks have been repaired," he said in his winding up speech during the state legislative assembly sitting on Tuesday.
Based on the report from Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd's engineering consultant, Penang Bridge was still in good condition in terms of structural strength and safety, he told the House.
Koay also added that the Penang Bridge expansion project would be delayed by a year because of geotechnical problems that hampered piling works. The Works Ministry recently announced that the project scheduled for completion in 2008, would take another year.
Koay also announced that a bypass route would be constructed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to ease congestion in Bayan Lepas.
"The RM2.5mil project will kick off in March next year. The bypass design had been completed and we are now in the land acquisition process," he added.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/27/nation/20071127165133&sec=nation
Wikipedia entry on Penang bridge:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penang_Bridge
Big holiday rush to Penang
By LOOI SUE-CHERN
PENANG: Holidaymakers are converging on the island and revelling in year-end festivities and the sunny weather here as many other states in the country are hit by floods.
Many out-of-state and foreign visitors started arriving here in droves since Wednesday.
Most MAS and Air Asia flights to Penang are also fully booked. A bank executive who was on the waiting list at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport since 3pm on Wednesday said he only managed to get a seat on the last flight.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2007/12/21/nation/n_23traffic.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Bumper-to-bumper: Heavy traffic heading towards the Penang Bridge from the Bayan Lepas Expressway and Glugor at midnight on Wednesday. Penang island is a favourite vacation destination during school holidays.]
“I arrived way past midnight,” said K. Y. Ooi, who intends to fly back only after Christmas.
The influx of vehicles caused massive traffic jams at the Juru toll booth, Penang Bridge and Weld Quay ferry terminal.
Thousands were caught in a bumper-to-bumper crawl after work on the eve of Hari Raya Aidiladha at Lebuh Light, Weld Quay, the Jelutong Expressway, Glugor and Bayan Lepas.
The queue to the ferry terminal stretched all the way to Convent Light Street while vehicles heading to Penang Bridge were jammed all the way from Glugor.
Customer service officer Alvin Henry, 25, said he thought he could avoid the jam at the Penang Bridge by taking the ferry home to the mainland, only to find the traffic conditions at the ferry terminal no better.
“I was in front of Port Swettenham at about 9.40pm. It took me more than an hour to get to the traffic lights in front of the ferry terminal.
“I called the Penang Port Sdn Bhd to ask about the long wait and was surprised to find that there was only one ferry operating that night,” he said.
“The operators should have used their common sense as there were many people waiting to board the ferry. After the long wait, I just gave up and used the Penang Bridge although it took me some time to get there. “
A Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd spokesperson said that although it was unusual for long queues heading to the bridge to last until midnight, a high increase in vehicles using the bridge was expected especially during festive seasons and school holidays.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/21/nation/19823925&sec=nation
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/21/nation/19823925&sec=nation
December 22, 2007 18:25 PM
Use Copters To Airlift Accident Vehicles On Penang Bridge - Samy Vellu
PENANG, Dec 22 (bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu today ordered the Malaysian Highway Authority and Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd to provide helicopter services to airlift vehicles involved in accidents on Penang Bridge to prevent traffic congestion.
He said helicopter services were needed to facilitate speedy dispersal of traffic in the wake of an accident.
"When a car is involved in an accident on the bridge, a helicopter can be used to airlift and move it to another place. So other vehicles can continue with the journey," said Samy Vellu, who is also MIC president, to reporters after meeting Penang MIC division and branch leaders.
The minister was responding to reporters' queries on the massive jam on Penang Bridge after a string of minor accidents at noon today.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Copter proposal to curb traffic jam on bridge lauded
GEORGE TOWN: The state government has lauded the idea of using helicopters to airlift vehicles involved in accidents on the Penang Bridge.
State Public Works, Transportation and Utility Committee chairman Datuk Koay Kar Huah said the move would reduce the response time in clearing the bridge of obstructions.
Koay said he had made the suggestion at the state assembly two years ago.
However, he claimed that there was no response from Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB), the bridge concessionaire.
"I am glad that the Works Ministry finally acknowledged the pressing need to introduce the helicopter services.
"I hope the bridge concessionaire and relevant authority will implement the idea as soon as possible," he said yesterday.
Koay said the Penang Bridge expansion work had intensified the need for such services.
"The traffic flow has been slowed due to the physical work and things are getting even worse whenever accidents occur on the bridge."
Koay was commenting on Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu's instruction to Malaysian Highway Authority and PBSB to provide helicopter services to airlift light vehicles involved in accidents on the bridge.
PBSB officials could not be reached for comment.
The 13.5km bridge, which links Prai on the mainland and Batu Uban in the island, is notorious for its traffic crawl triggered by even minor accidents and vehicles breaking down.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Environment has ordered UEM Builders to stop dredging the seabed around the site of the second Penang Bridge.
State Environment Committee chairman Teng Chang Yeow said a stop-work order was issued after the company's contractors failed to submit a detailed dredging plan to the authorities.
"We have requested UEM to furnish the authorities with details of the environmental impact as a result of active sand and mud dredging around the vicinity of the mammoth project," Teng, who is also the Padang Kota state assemblyman, said after attending a recycling campaign jointly organised by the state Drainage and Irrigation Department and his constituency's service team.
Teng said the stop-work order would be lifted upon submission of environmental mitigation plans by the contractors.
He, however, added that ground work on the bridge would not be affected.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2116619/Article/index_html
December 24, 2007 20:52 PM
Penang Bridge To Discuss Copter Proposal With LLM
PENANG, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB), the concessionaire of the Penang Bridge, will discuss a proposal to use helicopters to airlift vehicles involved in accidents on the bridge with the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).
A PBSB spokesman, when contacted by Bernama, said the company would have to discuss the matter with LLM before making any decision.
However, he could not say when the proposed meeting could be held.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had instructed LLM and PBSB to provide helicopter services to airlift light vehicles involved in accidents on the bridge.
Yesterday, the state government lauded the idea and expressed hope that PBSB and other relevant authorities could implement it soon to reduce the response time in clearing the bridge of obstructions.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2116619/Article/index_html
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Letters/2121671/Article/index_html
Think again on copter plan
I REFER to the proposal by Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu that the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) and Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) provide helicopter services to airlift vehicles involved in accidents on Penang Bridge to prevent traffic congestion.
Firstly, helicopters are expensive and they are also costly to run and maintain.
It takes considerable skill to pilot one, especially when the weather and lighting conditions are not in your favour.
It is highly impractical to have a helicopter just to airlift road accident wreckages as most of the time they would be on stand-by as accidents don't happen every hour.
Furthermore, to be able to airlift any vehicle wreckage, you'll need a very powerful helicopter.
Our average Malaysian car weighs approximately one to two tonnes. Hence, we need a helicopter that can lift that kind of weight.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force's Nuri (a Sikorsky S-61A-4) can barely handle that weight. Perhaps, the Works Ministry can buy it at a cheap price from RMAF once they phase out the Nuris.
If the crashed vehicle happens to be a bus or a lorry, then we need the big boys to airlift them. Nothing short of the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane (20-tonne payload) or the world's largest helicopter, Russia's Mi-12 (up to a 40-tonne payload).
Moreover, if the crash occurs in between the cable towers, the helicopter will be unable to enter that area as its rotating blades might hit the cables or the towers itself.
I'm not an engineer, nor am I good in physics, but common sense tells me that one needs a machine that can do the job at a much lower cost, able to do it in any weather (as crashes usually occur when it is raining heavily) and can be on the scene in an instant.
Perhaps the MHA or PBSB can call for tenders for such machines to do the job.
If they look on either side of the bridge, they will see gargantuan machines called straddle carriers being used at harbour ports.
They literally straddle those 20-ft containers under their "belly" and run atop four wheels connected on high "poles" to the main chassis.
If you've watched Penelope Pitstop in the 1970s cartoon series called the Wacky Races, you would have seen how she is able to overtake other vehicles simply by extending her four wheels high above the other cars and passing by over them from the top.
The straddle carriers would apply the same technique by emerging from its station and racing to the crash scene with its wheels running in between the cars keeping to their lanes on the bridge.
Once it reaches the crash site, it simply lifts up the wreckage and scoots back to its base station with the obtrusive wreckage straddled underneath its belly.
If the idea of having large wheels running in between the cars sound scary, they can use something akin to the large gantry cranes (used in warehouses) on rails fixed to the sides of the bridge which can manoeuvre from one end of the bridge to the other equipped with a hoist to lift wreckage swiftly and without much fuss or impediment to other bridge users.
Now that would be a better and more practical solution than using helicopters.
IDRIS MOKHTAR Kuala Lumpur
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Letters/2121671/Article/index_html
January 11, 2008 09:42 AM
Penang Bridge Traffic Congestion: Causes, Solutions?
A special report by Muna Khalid
PULAU PINANG, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- Being stuck in massive traffic congestion for hours on the Penang Bridge is nothing new for motorists who commute regularly between Seberang Perai and the island.
Penang's rapid economic boom, particularly on the island, has resulted in over than 120,000 vehicles to use the bridge daily. The figure moves up by some 10,000 more during the school holidays.
According to the bridge's concessionaire, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB), the main cause of the congestion is due to the 'bottleneck' caused by the closure of a traffic lane on both sides of the carriageway for works to widen the 13.5km-long bridge.
The other factor is accidents that involved motor vehicles on the bridge that operates since 1985.
Those who use the bridge regularly gave their views on the bridge's traffic congestion, which worsens by the day.
Abdul Halim Ahmad, 36, said the impatience of motorists who drive recklessly had caused minor accidents to occur on the bridge, causing traffic jams that last for hours.
"The congestion particularly happens in the morning when thousands of commuters are rushing to their work places located on the island from Seberang Perai.
It also happens when people are rushing back for home. The accidents are caused by selfish and impatient drivers," he said.
Abdul Halim, a civil servant whose office is located at the Komtar in Georgetown here, said he lives in Butterworth and has no other choice but to endure the traffic jams on his working days.
Another commuter, Asmah Mohd Noor, 28, said the heavy vehicles that use the bridge during the peak hours had also contributed to the massive traffic jams on the structure.
"There are too many vehicles that use the bridge during the peak hours. Then, there are also the heavy vehicles with loads of heavy materials, causing the traffic flow reduced to a snarl," she said.
Asmah, who has been using the bridge since the past two years, calls on the authorities to bar the heavy vehicles from using the bridge during the peak hours.
"The other alternative is to use the ferry service to get to the island and back," said Asmah, adding that she refrains from using the ferries as it would take her very long due to the long queues.
A spokesman for the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) said an effort should be made to reduce the number of accidents on the bridge. Hence a study is needed to find out reasons behind these accidents.
Among the measures that can be done are placing warning signs on the bridge apart from implementing a regulation that reduces the speed limit of vehicles using the bridge from 80 km/hr to 60 km/hr.
He said the PBSB should also provide removable road dividers that can be opened in cases of emergencies like opening up another traffic lane to allow vehicles to move in contra flow during traffic congestion or accidents.
The other measures include widening the bridge, putting extra lanes on it and construction of a second bridge that is able to reduce the number of vehicles using the present structure.
However the public has to be patient as the works to widen the bridge, scheduled to be completed in September this year, is now expected to be completed by another year from the due date due to geo-technical glitches.
Construction of the second bridge, at 24 km long, linking Batu Kawan in Seberang Perai and Batu Maung on the island. Construction of the bridge which has already began, is expected to be completed in January 2011.
To overcome the congestion, Works minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu, on Dec 22 last year, had directed the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and PBSB to use helicopters to remove wrecks of car involved in crashes on the bridge.
State Executive Councillor for Public Works, Utilities and Transport Datuk Koay Kar Huah calls on the LLM and PBSB to immediately implement Samy Vellu's suggestion in effort to reduce the congestion on Penang Bridge, which has reached a critical stage.
He said the state government had also come out with another two recommendations that the PBSB bars heavy vehicles from using the bridge during peak hours apart from encouraging commuters to car pool.
He said apart from moving at a crawl, the heavy vehicles are overloaded and most of them are not roadworthy.
Hence such vehicles are prone to breaking down on the bridge.
"The Works Minister had objected to the suggestion that heavy vehicles should be barred from using the bridge during peak hours, but we hope that he would review his decision," Koay added.
--- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
The current Penang Bridge has undoubtedly reached its traffic capacity.Traffic congestion at the inbound toll booths is appalling.
There is still a great deal of work to do in expanding to three lanes (from two) on both carriageways of the approach viaducts. The piling work is far from finished. I saw some decking in progress on the mainland side. Doubtless, the plan is widen the inbound carriageway first, to take pressure off the tollbooths.
Penang Bridge has definitely taken on the look of an old structure, but the suspension bridge section is being recabled right now. The bridge cables can actually be seen swaying, which to the layman suggests that they are winching in place new cables within the cable sheaths and then extracting the old ones after. Our resident bridge experts will doubtless enlighten us on this.
This recabling is also causing congestion, because the third (outer) lane of each suspension bridge carriageway is being used for contractors' plant and offices.
The bridge was supposed to be closed for half an hour yesterday afternoon to facilitate the removal of construction gantries. I arrived about the time that it was supposed to be reopened. The congestion was far lighter than inbound the previous day, but I had the feeling that the closure might have been rescheduled because of a fairly heavy monsoon.
Is it standard practice to actually barge out standard mobile cement mixers for this kind of bridge construction? I seem to remember that the Songkhla Bridge doubling project used barges with built-in mixers. (Admittedly they were probably the jury-rigged mixers off old mobile-mixers whose engines had clapped out.) It just looked a bit primitive having five or six mobile-mixers on a barge that was working on a fairly choppy sea.
..........
008/04/04
Room for 10,000 more
GEORGE TOWN: The number of motorists using the Penang Bridge is expected to increase by 10,000 vehicles daily to 140,000 once the expansion of the bridge is completed by August next year.
PPSB senior manager Abdul Rahman Hassan said the four-lane bridge, which would then have an extra lane on each side, would be able to cope with the additional traffic.
He said the bridge currently handled an average of 130,000 vehicles daily.
"We expect more motorists to use the bridge next year when the third lane is completed," he said.
He was speaking at a briefing on the widening of the bridge at the PPSB office in Prai yesterday.
UEM Construction Sdn Bhd project director K. Preamakanthan said the RM585 million project involved the widening of the bridge by 5.5m on both sides.
This will involve an additional 3.5m lane for cars and other vehicles and a two-metre lane for motorcyclists.
The expansion of the bridge also includes widening the toll plaza on the mainland.
Nearly 500 workers are involved in the project.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2203795/Article/index_html
Tuesday April 8, 2008
Stitching work on Penang Bridge
By DERRICK VINESH
WHILE most Penangites go to sleep, work to widen the Penang Bridge is being carried out late into the night and early hours of the morning to avoid disrupting traffic flow.
About 500 workers, including local contractors, Indonesian and Bangladeshi labourers, are at the famous Penang landmark from midnight until 6am daily, working together to put up additional lanes on both sides of the bridge.
Stitching work to merge the outer lanes with additional new lanes started 10 days ago.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/4/8/north/pg.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Night shift: An l-shaped beam being lowered onto a crosshead by a crane onboard a barge at the beam launching area at the Penang Bridge. Work is carried out late into the night and early hours of the morning to avoid disrupting traffic flow.]
“Motorists using the bridge may not see the workers as they are mostly working under the bridge,” said UEM Builders Berhad project director K. Preamakanthan.
“We have also placed temporary fences on the guardrails to prevent motorists from being unduly distracted by the ongoing work while driving on the bridge.”
Under the RM585mil bridge-widening project, the existing island-bound and Prai-bound dual-carriageway lanes, each measuring 8m wide, will have an additional 4.8m wide lane each.
Preamakanthan said only 700mm from the 3.65m-wide outer lane would be temporarily closed when stitching works were being carried out.
“We chose to do the work at night to avoid clashing with the heavy traffic flow on the bridge during the day,” he said.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/4/8/north/pg3.jpg
[Photo: The Star - An artist impression of how the Penang Bridge would like after the expansion work.]
He said the nine lay-bys on the bridge would be moved outside the additional lanes while 2m-wide demarcations would be drawn along the new lanes for motorcycles.
Preamakanthan said since widening works started in November 2006, concrete piles had been driven into the land and marine areas of the bridge between the midspan and Prai.
Piling work for the remaining stretch between the midspan and Penang island, he said, would be completed by August.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/4/8/north/pg2.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Heavy duty equipment: A gantry is used to transfer an l-shaped beam onto a multi-axel trailer at the pre-casting yard near the Penang Bridge's new toll plaza in Prai.]
“We have started stitching work on a 1.6km-long stretch on the Prai-bound lane. Here, concrete columns have been vertically placed in be-tween large pre-cast concrete boxes, called crossheads,” he said.
Preamakanthan said in between two standing columns, a pair of 40m-long ‘I’ and ‘U’ shaped beams had been placed horizontally to rest on the crossheads.
These beams, he said, were manufactured at the company’s pre-casting yard located near the new toll plaza.
“The I and U-shaped beams, which each weigh 80 tonnes and 140 tonnes respectively, are hoisted using a gantry and placed on a multi-axel trailer to be transported to the designated sites.
“Two 350-tonne launching cranes onboard a 76m-long barge are deployed to pick up the beams and place them in position on the crossheads,” he said.
Preamakanthan said that so far, a total of 80 I and U-shaped beams had been put in place at a rate of two beams per night.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/4/8/north/pg12.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Precision job: An l-shaped beam is being lowered onto a crosshead.]
He said the company hoped to complete the laying of all 288 I-shaped beams and 296 U-shaped beams by early January. Work began last December.
Concrete mix will later be poured over the steel bars in a formwork (mould) placed on the beams to create a cemented deck slab.
New concrete guardrails would also be built on the outer side of the new lane, he added.
“The old guardrails will then be hacked to expose some parts of its steel frames that would later be overlapped on the protruding steel frames from the inner side of the new deck slab.
“Concrete mix will then be poured over these steel bars that are placed in a 1.2m-wide formwork to stitch both the old and new lanes,” he said.
Preamakanthan said the process of hacking, steeling and concreting at each stretch between two columns took about 18 days to complete.
He said that based on the rate of progress on the works, he was confident that the overall widening project would be completed by the Aug 24, 2009 deadline.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/4/8/north/20872461&sec=North
Friday April 18, 2008
Don’t use bridge during peak hours
By ZULKIFLY MOHAMAD
MOTORISTS using the Penang Bridge are advised to avoid using the link during peak hours to facilitate ongoing widening works.
Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) senior operations manager Abd Rahman Hassan (pic) in a statement said motorists should avoid using the bridge between 7am and 9am and 5pm and 8pm during week-days, public holidays and school holidays.
He said the widening project was being carried out smoothly by the main contractor, UEM Construction Sdn Bhd.
“The beam launching process for Prai-bound lane between KM1.2 and KM3.5 was completed on April 1 and is now being carried out on the Penang-bound stretch.
“The ongoing stitching work for the bridge structure that began on March 29 from KM0.7 to KM0.4 on the Prai-bound lane is progressing as scheduled,” he added.
Abd Rahman said bridge users should drive carefully and observe all alert signages, including Variable Message Signs (VMS).
“The On Time Information Message (OTIM) and PBSB Bridgeline 1300-1300-03 are available for round-the-clock traffic enquiries,” he said.
He said the bridge response team is on standby 24 hours daily to assist users in the event of breakdown or accident within the bridge concession area.
About 500 workers are now working together to put up addi-tional lanes on both sides of the bridge.
Under the RM585mil bridge widening project, the existing island-bound and Prai-bound dual-carriageway lanes, each measuring 8m wide, will have an additional 4.8m wide lane each.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/4/18/north/20987205&sec=North
Tuesday July 8, 2008
Ban on heavy vehicles soon
By TAN SIN CHOW
GEORGE TOWN: The move to ban heavy vehicles from using the Penang Bridge during peak hours will probably take effect next month.
State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said the Works Ministry had submitted the proposal to the Attorney-General Chambers.
“The chambers is vetting the proposal. The ban will probably take effect next month after it has been gazetted,” he said when contacted here yesterday.
Under the move, heavy vehicles such as trailers, tankers and lorries above six tonnes will be barred from using the bridge between 6.30am and 9.30am and between 5pm and 8.30pm.
However, express buses, factory buses, ambulances, military vehicles and fire engines are exempted from the ban.
Lim said Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) would inform the public and put up notices at strategic locations to inform road users once the ban had been gazetted.
He said transporters could apply for a special pass from the Ma-laysian Highway Authority (MHA) to use the bridge during peak hours.
“But they must first provide MHA with valid reasons why they need to use the bridge during peak periods,” he said.
He said the state government would hold regular meetings with the relevant authorities and transporters to discuss any shortcomings arising from the ban.
Meanwhile, Lorry Transport Services Association (Northern Region) president Lee Far Li said they were against the ban.
“The move will inconvenience our 100 members who ply the bridge almost daily,” he said.
Lee said the ban was not necessary as there was less traffic on the bridge following the recent fuel hike.
“We obtained statistics from the MHA that there was a drop in traffic volume between 5% and 7%,” he said when contacted.
It had been reported that about 120,000 vehicles use the bridge daily before the fuel hike.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/7/8/north/21759817&sec=North
Incidentally, the second half of this report deals with Jeff Ooi - the well-known & controversial Malaysian blogger:
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Malaysian Highway Authority studying feasibility of peak-hour levy
At the Penang State Assembly Monday
GEORGE TOWN: Motorists using the Penang Bridge during peak hours may be slapped with a surcharge on the toll payment in future.
The Malaysian Highway Authority was carrying out a study on such a possibility, state Public Works, Utility and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said.
“The state is scrutinising the matter,” he told the House yesterday in reply to a supplementary question from Sim Tze Tzin (PKR - Pantai Jerejak).
On suggestions for a park-and-ride system to encourage car-pooling, Lim said the state has yet to identify a suitable plot of land that was large enough to accommodate thousands of cars.
Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah (BN - Seberang Jaya) queried whether Jeff Ooi, who was appointed chief of staff in the Chief Minister’s office, had more power than the chief minister as Ooi had spoken in Parliament that the second bridge project had been scrapped.
“Ooi’s statement had caused investors to run away. Is his position higher than that of the Chief Minister?” he asked.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Arif Shah was only trying to play up issues as he had earlier claimed that some state executive councillors were not happy with Ooi’s appointment.
“The executive councillors do not have problems with Jeff Ooi. We appointed him because of his expertise in IT (information technology).
“Jeff will coordinate work in the Chief Minister’s office but he has no access to classified documents. He is involved in formulating strategies and policies. It is a voluntary job. There is no salary or perks.”
He accused Arif Shah of trying to split the Pakatan Rakyat members as none of the executive councillors had questioned Ooi’s appointment.
At a press conference later, Lim said the chief of staff position should not be confused with that of a state secretary or a private secretary.
“Ooi merely helps me to co-ordinate events, deal with complainants when I’m unable to do so, and brainstorm,” he added.
On the first day of the state assembly sitting, Lim said he was satisfied with its smooth running.
“I think we gave a lot of room for everyone to speak. Some people (state assemblymen) even spoke four to five times. Actually this is not allowed.
“However, the new government has a very liberal spirit. If eight days is not enough, we will lengthen the hours. Instead of finishing at 5.15pm, we may extend the time to 7pm.”
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/7/8/north/21759817&sec=North
See also previous post on a possible peak hour levy on all vehicles
Wednesday July 30, 2008 MYT 7:57:21 PM
Heavy vehicles to be barred from Penang bridge during peak hours
PETALING JAYA: Heavy vehicles will be barred from using the Penang bridge during the rush hours of between 6.30am and 8.30am and 5pm and 7pm daily effective Aug 15.
Works Minister Datuk Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed said the move is to ease traffic on the Penang Bridge.
The classes of heavy vehicles involved are two-axle and five or six-wheeler lorries, three-axle lorries, trailers or trucks, four-axle lorries, trailers or trucks and five-axle lorries, trailers or trucks.
“The order will take effect until the expected completion of the upgrading work on the bridge in Sept 2009. The upgrading will allow an optimum capacity of 165,000 vehicles plying the bridge daily,” he said.
Mohd Zin also announced that the 50sen toll collection on Jalan Gunung Raya in Langkawi would be abolished effective Aug 1.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/30/nation/20080730194736&sec=nation
http://www.penangbridge.com.my./
Friday August 15, 2008
Bridge ban on heavy vehicles starts today
THE Penang Bridge ban on heavy vehicles during peak hours takes effect today.
They are restricted from using the bridge between 6.30am and 8.30am as well as between 5pm and 7pm.
Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) said the heavy vehicles comprised Class 4 lorries with two axles as well as those with five or six wheels, Class 5 and Class 6 lorries, trailers and trucks with three axles and four axles respectively, and Class 7 vehicles with five axles and more.
Heavy vehicles that need to transport their goods during peak hours can apply for an exemption.
PPSB said Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad had delegated power to the northern region director of the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) to allow the exemption. Companies or agencies wishing to get the exemption are required to write to MHA’s northern region office.
PPSB also said slow-moving vehicles were prohibited from using the bridge from 6am to midnight. These vehicles are motorcycles with attached sidecars, three-wheeled vans, road rollers, forklifts, excavators, road pavers, tractors, bulldozers and graders. For further details of the type of vehicles, log onto www.penangbridge.com.my.
For traffic enquiries and to contact the Bridge Response Team for assistance during emergencies, call the PBSB’s 24-hour hotline at 1300-1300-03.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/8/15/north/1812157&sec=North
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