Penang is about to expertise years of site visitors congestion as development for the long-awaited Mutiara Line Mild Rail Transit (LRT) undertaking will get underway. The six-year undertaking, aimed toward enhancing the state’s public transport community, will carry main street diversions and closures alongside a number of of the island’s busiest routes.
In accordance with SRS Consortium undertaking director Adil Putra Ahmad, important site visitors changes shall be made in Komtar, Sunny Level in Gelugor, and the Free Industrial Zone (FIZ) in Bayan Lepas—three areas anticipated to face the worst congestion. Particularly, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in Bayan Lepas, considered one of Penang’s busiest industrial corridors, shall be lowered from six lanes to 4.
“Motorists will face diversions at key areas, with site visitors lights eliminated and U-turns launched to enhance site visitors circulation throughout a 38-month interval from this month till December 2028,” Adil mentioned. He added that utility mapping for underground infrastructure corresponding to water pipes and electrical strains shall be performed earlier than excavation to minimise service disruptions.
Preparatory works for the diversions are set to start on the finish of October, with rerouting and junction closures anticipated early subsequent 12 months.
Managing site visitors in the course of the development section shall be one of many undertaking’s greatest challenges, mentioned MRT Corp undertaking director Azmi Abd Rahman. “We now have minimal buffer house and restricted room for diversion,” he famous, assuring that the undertaking has obtained environmental clearance and contractors should adjust to the Environmental Influence Evaluation (EIA) plan to regulate mud and vibration.
Issues have additionally been raised by Penang’s industrial stakeholders. InvestPenang CEO Datuk Bathroom Lee Lian highlighted that round 350,000 folks journey day by day between the island and mainland for work within the manufacturing sector. “Any downtime as a consequence of flooding or congestion can result in main operational losses. Corporations’ HR departments might want to handle worker hours rigorously,” she mentioned.
In response, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin inspired corporations to undertake versatile work preparations and promote carpooling to ease peak-hour congestion.
Penang’s infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari urged persistence from the general public, describing the Mutiara LRT as Penang’s most formidable infrastructure undertaking up to now. “The alignment connects key locations corresponding to USM, Penang Worldwide Airport, the Penang Waterfront Conference Centre, and Setia SPICE. It is going to additionally hyperlink to Penang Sentral on the mainland, integrating with the nationwide rail community,” he mentioned.
Stretching 29km from Silicon Island to Penang Sentral, the Mutiara Line will function 21 stations. When operational, it’s anticipated to hold 3,000 passengers per hour per path initially, scaling as much as 15,000 passengers per hour by 2060.
Whereas Penangites could face years of site visitors disruptions forward, the state authorities believes the long-term advantages—lowered congestion, improved connectivity, and sustainable city progress—will far outweigh the non permanent inconvenience.Penang Braces for Visitors Woes as Mutiara LRT Development Begins
