Penang’s Mutiara Line LRT will continue construction through Chinese New Year in February and Hari Raya Aidilfitri in March, Bernama reports, with state infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari saying that there could not be any delays as a very tight timeline is required to finish the project by December 2031.
“In addition, any delay in meeting the project’s completion target will trigger a penalty clause as stipulated in the contract. However, the implementation of the traffic management plan (TMP) during the festive seasons will be arranged in a way that does not disrupt traffic flow or compromise the safety of road users, especially with the expected increase in vehicles,” he said yesterday during the Penang state assembly’s sitting.
He was responding to Air Putih MP Lim Guan Eng, who asked about the project’s expected costs, its construction start date and whether work would be postponed to after Aidilfitri. According to SRS Consortium – the contractor for the Civil Main Contractor Package 1 (CMC1) – Jalan Magazine, the junction in front of Sunny Point in Batu Uban, and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone are the locations expected to be affected most by construction works.
Zairil said that the Penang Island city council (MBPP) has instructed MRT Corp to prepare a detailed TMP for each station site from George Town to Permatang Damar Laut. Said TMP, approved by the local authorities on October 14, is being implemented in stages according to location.
“Mitigation measures will be carried out by MRT Corp to minimise the impact on existing traffic, ensure smooth vehicle movement and improve traffic flow efficiency in key areas throughout the construction period of the Mutiara Line LRT,” he said, adding that MRT Corp will also provide alternative routes and traffic diversions as part of the approved TMP, which will be reviewed and refined monthly for future planning.
First talked about in 2015, the 29.5-km Mutiara Line LRT will connect Penang’s island and mainland through 21 stations. Its main alignment plan covers the route from the Penang South Reclamation area to Penang Sentral and George Town’s Komtar Station.
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