No feedback yet on feasibility study for undersea tunnel project - Penang Exco

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has yet to receive feedback and comments from two key agencies on the feasibility study for the undersea tunnel project.

State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said last March, the state government had sent a reminder letter to the Penang Port Commission (SPPP) and Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) to enable the state to make a decision on the implementation of the project.

"The feasibility study took a long time to complete because it involved several private and federal agencies," he told the state assembly sitting today.

"We are also waiting for written comments from the two important agencies before we can decide on the project," he said in reply to question from Datuk Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor (BN-Sungai Dua) on the feasibility study draft report.

Zairil said the state government is expected to hold a meeting with the SPPP in early December.

He said the report on the feasibility study was presented to the state government last April which basically stated that the undersea tunnel could be implemented.

"However, the final report of the feasibility study will only be accepted after the final comments regarding the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) expansion master plan by SPPP are made official. For now, SPPP has not finalised the NBCT expansion master plan," he said. .

Zairil said the transition of the undersea tunnel project to the design phase is subject to the integration of the tunnel alignment design with the NBCT expansion master plan which SPPP has yet to finalise.

"The timeframe for the implementation of the undersea tunnel project is subject to this matter. No payment has been made for the undersea tunnel project since the feasibility study report has not been finalised and accepted by the state government.

"So far, the state government has only made payments in the form of land exchange with a value of RM208.8 million for just the feasibility study and detailed design of the main road project," he said.

--BERNAMA