Penang Bridge

Penang Bridge



The Penang Bridge (Jambatan Pulau Pinang in Malay) E 36 is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to traffic on September 14, 1985. The total length of the bridge is 13.5 km (8.4 miles), making it among the longest bridges in the world, the longest bridge in the country as well as a national landmark. Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd is the concession holder which manages it. The bridge was designed by a local Penang resident, Tan Sri Datuk Professor Ir. Chin Fung Kee, a well known authority in geotechnical engineering and former acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Malaya.


Before 1985, transportation between the island and the mainland was solely dependent on the state-owned Penang Ferry Service that runs between Butterworth and George Town.
Similar to the ferry services in Penang, toll is only paid when heading to the island. There is no charge for leaving the island.


Currently, the Penang Bridge is being expanded from 4 lanes to 6 lanes to accommodate the increasing traffic on the bridge. A proposal for a second bridge, the Penang Second Bridge, has been approved by the Malaysian federal government and included as one of the Ninth Malaysia Plan national projects. Construction work of the new Penang Second Bridge began in November 2008, and the target completion date is May 2012.



Information

Official name - Penang Bridge

Malay name - Jambatan Pulau Pinang

Locale - Penang Bridge

Carries - Motor vehicles Crosses South Channel, Malaysia

Longest span - 225m

Total length - 13.5km

Width --

Opening date - 1985

Maintained by - Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd

Design -cable stayed bridgebox girder bridge

Designer/clients - Government of MalaysiaMalaysian Highway Authority (LLM)United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM)

Contractor/construction - Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company (Korea) LtdUnited Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM)