THE Penang government has expressed its delight over the completion of a much-needed new bridge across the Teluk Bahang River to address frequent flood issues there.
State Works, Utilities and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the project would benefit the residents living in Jalan Kampung Nelayan area in Teluk Bahang as they had previously raised concerns over how catastrophic the floods could be during the rainy season.
“The state government is indeed very proactive and ever committed to fulfilling the needs of the people, especially in addressing flood issues, which involves homes.
“The total amount allocated for this project was RM3.78 million, but the actual cost for the entire project was only RM1.15 million. This meant RM2.63 million had been saved,” said Zairil during the handing over ceremony of the new bridge at Kampung Nelayan in Teluk Bahang today.
The project, undertaken by state Public Works Department (JKR) and fully funded by the state government, involved improvement works on existing bridge structures with full single-span bridge technique used.
It was also carried out without land acquisition.
Zairil also commended JKR for completing the project ahead of time for the well-being of the people.
The project, which took off in December 2019, was only due to be completed at the end of September this year.
“The project can help boost the image of Kampung Nelayan as it is strategically located and surrounded by many tourist attractions.
“At the same time, I would also like to advise the local community here to practise a more disciplined way of garbage disposal to help maintain a smooth river flow and avoid flash floods,” Zairil added.
Also present was state International and Domestic Trade, Consumer Affairs and Entrepreneurship Development Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhammad