No urgency for Penang Tunnel feasibility studies; project start planned for 2023

GEORGE TOWN: There is no urgency for Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd to complete the feasibility studies on the Penang Tunnel, said its senior executive director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli.
"We have stressed this matter to the state government, as for us the feasibility studies is not urgent, we don't want to waste our efforts and resources on it yet," he said during a press conference at Komtar yesterday, adding that the tunnel project will only start in 2023.
According to him, completing the feasibility studies on the tunnel will incur more cost for the company, as the state government has yet to pay for it.
Zarul said it is more important for the consortium to focus on the construction of the two highway projects, which has yet to receive approval from the Environmental Impact Assesment (EIA) report.
"Currently we are waiting for the EIA, which we hope to get soon so that we can start the highway projects," he said.
State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said the highway projects were the main focus of the consortium now.
Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd was awarded the project to build a 7.2km undersea tunnel linking Gurney Drive on the island to Bagan Ajam in northern Seberang Perai.
It will also be constructing three paired roads from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang, Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway to Air Itam and Gurney Drive to the expressway
On Monday, in a statement to Bernama, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the ministry has yet to receive the reports pertaining to the RM305 million Penang Tunnel project as promised by the Penang government about 18 months ago.
Fadillah also said the delay was “very unusual” as the project was awarded in April 2013.