Penang Hill carpark nearing completion

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is expected to take ownership of the Penang Hill carpark by Aug 31.
PDC deputy general manager Iskandar Basha Abdul Kadir said the project was 65% completed and work was going on smoothly.
On delays the project encountered last year, he said there were huge underground boulders and rocks which took time to remove.
"These rocks and boulders had to be removed safely," he said in a media briefing today at the project site.
The RM11-million project was originally scheduled to be completed by Nov 25 last year but could not meet the deadline due to the huge underground boulders.
Contractors reportedly had to use alternative means like chemical expansion techniques to remove the boulders to minimise noise and pollution as the site is near a tourist destination and residential area.
When completed, the eight-storey carpark will have 312 parking bays, commercial lots and office space. The current project was mooted after an earlier structure was demolished due to flaws, including steep ramps and small parking bays.
The earlier federal government-funded RM5 million project was completed in March 2012 but could not be utilised due to the flaws.