Story by Christopher Tan
ROAD users plying the short-cut connecting Solok Zoo 1 and Tingkat Lembah Ria 1 can rejoice as the bridge connecting both roads is now being rebuilt.
The 3.5m-wide bridge was damaged in the Sept 15 flash floods.
Air Itam assemblymember Wong Hon Wai said the Penang government allocated RM195,434 for the project.
“The construction of the new bridge, across Sungai Dondang, will take about four months.
“Although the scheduled date of completion is Feb 23 next year, we hope the bridge can be opened before the Chinese New Year celebration next year,” Wong told a press conference at the site on Oct 26.
He added that the damaged bridge would be replaced with a new 15m by 4m light traffic bridge.
Also present was northeast district Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) district engineer Nortilawati Osman.
Nortilawati said the Penang government allocated about RM890,000 to the northeast district DID for repair works, dredging works, strengthening riverbanks, clearing blockages and others in the northeast district after the Sept 15 flash floods.
“The building of the light traffic bridge is the largest project in the northeast district to be carried out after the Sept 15 flash floods. The RM195,434 cost for the light traffic bridge project is included in the RM890,000 allocated,” she said.
On a separate matter, Wong said he received 285 applications for the one-off RM400 payment for the Sept 15 flood victims.
“The deadline for the application is over, and we hope that the one-off payment can be disbursed to the victims in November,” he said.
The Sept 15 flash floods occurred following the extraordinary heavy rains due to the tailwind of Typhoon Doksuri.