BALIK PULAU: THE additional roads linked to Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge (JSAHMS) have benefited Penangites and also added value to the project.
Incumbent Balik Pulau member of parliament Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the project also facilitated road users as it connected the Bayan Lepas industrial area with the Penang International Airport (PIA) and ports.
Dr Hilmi, who is also the deputy health minister, said the project was a way to alleviate traffic congestion and provide direct benefit to the 525,000 people residing southwest of the island and in the Seberang Perai Selatan districts.
“The main aim of implementing the project is to make it a catalyst for rapid development in nearby areas, especially from Batu Maung to Bayan Lepas. It also helps to shorten travelling time to Perak, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
“The project is believed to cater to the expected additional capacity of road users after the upgrading work of PIA has been completed,” he said in an interview with New Straits Times Press at the Balik Pulau Umno office here recently.
The JSAHMS, which connects Batu Maung to Batu Kawan, was opened in 2014 and was listed as the longest bridge in Southeast Asia and fifth longest in the world.
It is equipped with an integrated toll complex, the first and biggest in Malaysia, with 28 lanes in total.
The four lanes with two motorcycle lanes, which were built on the bridge, cross the South Strait. The latter connects Penang island and Seberang Perai on the mainland.