Story by Amanda Khong
Pix by Law Suun Ting
PREVIOUSLY Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng issued a stop-work order on the closure of a section of the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway located between Lebuhraya Kampung Jawa and Hilir Sungai Keluang 1 in Bayan Lepas, Penang and ordered for the roads to reopened on Sept 4.
Currently, the section is closed from 11pm till 5.30am during weekdays and from Friday 11pm to Monday 5.30am for the upgrading work on the special span project to be carried out.
Additional hours closing hours were added effective from Oct 12.
In a recent press conference held in Komtar on Oct 9, UEM Builders Berhad (UEMB) Construction deputy senior manager Ismade Ismail said: “The state government has allowed for now the following extra closure hours after much consideration and discussion with the panel and also with the Free Industrial Zone, Penang, Companies Association. The additional hours will be from 9pm till 5am and 9am till 12.30pm (Monday night till Friday morning) and from Friday 11pm to Monday 5am.”
Ismade added that there will be no road closure on Frid
ay from 9am to 12.30pm.
Lim, who was also present, told the press that these closure hours wereflexible and will change anytime depending on traffic flow.
A checklist will be used by UEMB to check the safety of every single section of this special span project and it is with immediate effect that if any instability is found, affected roads will be closed to prevent any accidents from occurring.
The Independent Expert Engineers Panel will also do a site check from time to time to ensure the safety of this project.
It is expected that the upgrading work of the special span project will be completed by the end of March and the highway will be reopened as usual.
However, the whole project is only estimated to be completed next June.
