PENANG's SECOND LINK Update!

[nazrey]

Lim To Meet Nor Mohamed Over Penang's Delayed Projects
September 04, 2009 17:04 PM

PENANG, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said on Friday, he was trying to set up a meeting with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop this weekend to discuss how both the federal and state governments could work together to complete delayed Penang projects on schedule.

"We will discuss to see whether both governments can work together to make sure all these projects are completed as planned," he told reporters here.

Lim was commenting on Nor Mohamed's statement last Saturday that the federal government would ensure that 22 delayed Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) infrastructure projects worth RM300 million in Penang were completed as scheduled by the end of 2010.

Lim also said that the state government would want to know why only RM1.8 billion of the RM7.6 billion worth of development projects approved for Penang were to be completed on time next year, adding that the rate of failure was about 76 per cent.

On another matter, Lim dismissed as untrue a claim by Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan that lack of cooperation on the part of the state government was the reason for the delay in the construction of the second Penang bridge.

"I hope Gerakan would not make such a baseless allegation against the state government, and they should not play politics with the state's mega projects," he said.

Lim said the state government was fully committed towards having the bridge completed on time.

The second bridge, linking Batu Maung on the island to Batu Kawan on the mainland, is expected to be completed in May 2012.

-- BERNAMA

[nazrey]

Penang Second Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Official name	        Penang Second Bridge
Malay name	        Jambatan Kedua Pulau Pinang
Locale	                Penang Second Bridge
                        North-South Expressway Northern Route
Carries	                Motor vehicles
Crosses	                South Channel
Longest span	        17 km
Total length  	        24 km
Width 	                250 m 
Opening date  	        January 2011
Design	                UEM Builders
Designer/clients        Malaysian Highway Authority
                        UEM Builders
Contractor/construction UEM Builders

UPDATE:

Official name	        Penang Second Bridge
Malay name	        Jambatan Kedua Pulau Pinang
Locale	                Penang Second Bridge
                        North-South Expressway Northern Route
Carries	                Motor vehicles
Crosses	                Penang Strait, Penang
Maintained by    	Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB)
Designer	        Government of Malaysia
                        Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA)
                        UEM Builders
Design	                cable stayed bridge, box girder bridge
Longest span	        16.37 km
Total length  	        23.37 km
Width 	                250 m 
Constructed by  	China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC)
                        UEM Construction Sdn Bhd
Opening date      May 2012

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penang_Second_Bridge

[nazrey]

Completion of 2nd Penang Bbridge delayed by a year to 2013
Published: Saturday October 10, 2009 MYT 6:19:00 PM
By K. KASTURI DEWI

BATU KAWAN: The completion of the RM4.3bil Second Penang bridge has been delayed by a year to 2013.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said Saturday that the bridge was initially projected to be completed by mid-2012 but several factors such as in-depth study and re-designing of the bridge had caused the completion date to be shelved to before April 2013.

“The bridge’s scheduled progress should be now 20% but it was only 7%. I am however satisfied with the progress of the works being carried out and am confident that we can catch up despite the few hitches”.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting the United Engineers Malaysia (UEM) segmental box girder factory in Batu Kawan Saturday.

The factory was set up to manufacture some 8,100 such girders for the bridge project.

Nor Mohamed said under the project, the packages awarded included RM2.2bil worth of works on the main span, sub-structures and the foundation that were expected to be completed in May 2012.

The second package involves a RM1.55bil super structure works to be completed by early 2013 and the final package involving RM350mil of land portion works both on the island and mainland.

He said the project would benefit the state’s economic development and create 1,200 jobs.

The 17km bridge will link Batu Kawan to Batu Maung on Penang island and will be the longest in the region when completed.

Also present were Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd managing director Dr Ismail Mohd Taib and construction director Major (R) Ir. Mohd Ashari Alias.

[nazrey]

Bridge specifications
Source: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/top..._Second_Bridge

Overall length - 24 km (15 miles)
Length over water - 17 km (10 miles)
Main span : Length - 250 m (-- feet)
Height clearance (above water) – 30 m (-- feet)
Number of vehicle lanes – 2 + 1 for motorcycles (each direction)
Average time taken to drive from Batu Kawan to Batu Maung – 20 mins
Proposed speed limit on bridge – 80 km/h (-- mph)
Percentage of local contents to be used - 60%

[nazrey]

M’sia, China sign five MoUs
12th November, 2009

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chinese president Hu Jintao yesterday witnessed the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries.

The signing ceremony of the MOUs was held at the Prime Minister’s office at Perdana Putra building here.

The first MoU was signed between Bank Negara Malaysia and the China Banking Regulatory Commission on banking supervision cooperation.

Malaysia was represented by Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz and China by the chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, Liu Ming Kang.

The second MoU was signed by the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Mohammed Khaled Nordin and the China’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Liu Jian, for cooperation in the field of higher education.

The third MoU involved the Malaysian government and the Beijing Enterprise Water Group (BEWG) Ltd of China on cooperation in the sewerage services industry.

It was signed by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Datuk Dr Halim Man and the chairman and executive director of BEWG, Zhang Hong Hai.

Najib and Hu also witnessed the signing of supplementary agreements to the general loan agreement on the utilisation of the preferential buyers’ credit between the secretary-general of the Treasury, Tan Sri Dr Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah and the chairman and president of the Export Import Bank of China, Li Ruo Gu.

The final MoU was on the preferential buyers credit loan agreement on the Penang second bridge project.

It was signed by the chairman of Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob and Li Ruo Gu.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Najib said Hu’s two-day visit to Malaysia symbolised the 35 years of bilateral ties between both countries.

He said when both countries established diplomatic ties 35 years ago, neither could have imagined two important things taking place in the future.

“Firstly, we would not have imagined how successful China would be one day,” he said, while crediting President Hu, for this.

Najib also noted that bilateral ties had blossomed ever since and progressed to become very important, strategic and comprehensive.

In a related matter, the prime minister said he wanted Hu’s visit not to be only ceremonial but become very substantial.

“I will seek to propel this bilateral relationship to a higher level,” he added.

Najib also disclosed that he would highlight to Hu, some new areas of collaboration between both countries.

[nazrey]

Source: http://cm.penang.gov.my/index.php?op...limitstart=230



Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng (second, left) inspecting the
casting yard when visiting the construction site of the second
Penang Bridge in Batu Kawan. Also present are Penang's state-exco
for domestic trade and consumer affair, Abdul Malik Abul Kassim (left)

[nazrey]

Decision Likely On Toll Period For Second Penang Bridge By First Quarter 2010
December 20, 2009 16:03 PM

BUTTERWORTH, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- The government is expected to finalise by the first quarter of next year the toll concession period for the second Penang Bridge, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said on Sunday.

"There are many methods of setting the concession period and deciding on the amount of toll. We will consider all these and decide what is best for the people, especially those in Penang," he said.

He was asked to comment on Anil Netto's remark in his blog that the concession period for the bridge would be 45 years as per the 2008 annual report of the Malaysian Highway Authority.

Nor Mohamed, who heads the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), said the government would conduct research to determine the amount each motorist would have to pay for using the bridge.

"We must approve an amount which everyone is able to pay so that it gives everyone an equal opportunity to travel on the bridge," he told reporters after a meeting of the Pokok Sena farmers organisation authority, here.

He said some toll concession periods allowed the concessionaire to raise the quantum of toll annually while some retained one amount for several years.

Last year, the government set up Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB), a special purpose vehicle, to supervise and fast-track the second Penang bridge project.

The 26-km bridge, which will link Batu Maung on the island to Batu Kawan on the mainland, is a project undertaken jointly by UEM Builders and China Harbour Engineering.

-- BERNAMA

[nazrey]

UPDATE:
From flickr

image hosted on flickr

[nazrey]

Second Penang link may cost less
By Rupinder SinghPublished: 2010/04/27



The second Penang bridge project will cost less than the RM4.5 billion initially estimated and is on track to be completed by September 2013.
"We are expecting it (cost of second bridge construction) to be less than RM4.5 billion with the competitive open tender for Package 3," Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) managing director Datuk Professor Ismail Mohd Taib told reporters after a signing ceremony between JKSB with CHEC Construction (M) Sdn Bhd and UEM Builders Bhd in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

So far, over 100 construction firms have shown keen interest in the RM750 million Package 3 contract work.

"About 40 of those companies have submitted their tender for Package 3. We hope the board can sit this month and if there are no problems, we can start work for Package 3 construction by the end of May this year," he said.

Asked why the second Penang bridge project has been delayed for more than a year, Ismail said it was due to the "change in business model and funding of the project, which have resulted in a review of the contractual terms of the agreements with the financiers and the contractors".
The 17km bridge will link Batu Kawan to Batu Maung on Penang island and will be the longest in the region when completed.

Package 3 is divided into seven parts: The Batu Maung Interchange(Package 3A), the Batu Kawan Land Expressway (Package 3B), the Batu Kawan Trumpet Interchange (Package 3C), Toll Plaza and Administration Building (Package 3D), Toll Collection System (Package 3E), Traffic Control Surveillance System (Package 3F) and Mechanical and Electrical and Infrastructure Works for Package 3A and 3C (Package 3G).

Package 1 of the second Penang bridge project involves a RM2.2 billion contract work on the main span, substructures and foundation, which is expected to be completed in May 2012.

Package 2 is a RM1.55 billion contract for the construction of the superstructure, scheduled for completion in 2013.

Construction of the Second Penang Bridge is now 24 per cent complete and it should be open to traffic by November 2013.

JKSB is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by the federal government to supervise and fast-track the second Penang bridge project.

It is also a concessionaire appointed to oversee the construction, management and operations of the second bridge.

Yesterday's signing saw the award of Package 1 and two construction works to CHEC Construction and UEM Builders respectively.

Deputy Finance Minister Senator Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, who witnessed the signing, said the mega project will not only benefit Penang residents but also those in the surrounding areas.

"Apart from the objective to ease traffic congestion, it will also stimulate the economy of the southern area of Penang, thus further enhancing the country's economic development," he said.

[nazrey]

Second Penang bridge 24% completed
By DAVID TAN 2010/04/26

GEORGE TOWN: The construction of the RM4.3bil second Penang bridge is now 24% completed compared with about 7% in October last year.

A Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) spokesman said the 24% completion covered the works done for both package one and two of the bridge.

Package one involves a RM2.2bil contract work on the main span, substructures and foundation, which is expected to be completed in May 2012.

Meanwhile, package two is a RM1.55bil contract for the construction of the superstructure, scheduled for completion in 2013.

The final package involves RM350mil of land portion works, both on the island and mainland.

The JKSB spokesman said a contract agreement signing ceremony would be held in Kuala Lumpur on Monday between JKSB and CHEC Construction (M) Sdn Bhd, and UEM Builders Bhd.

It is learnt that JKSB managing director Datuk Prof Ismail Mohd Taib would sign the deal on behalf of JKSB.

JKSB is a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by the Government to supervise and fast track the second Penang bridge project.

It is also a concessionaire appointed to oversee the construction, management and operations of the second bridge.

Last October, in a visit to the bridge site, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the bridge completion had to be delayed by a year to 2013 due to re-designing works.

The 17km bridge will link Batu Kawan to Batu Maung on Penang island and will be the longest in the region when completed.

[nazrey]

IJM wins RM350mil second Penang bridge job
Wednesday June 16, 2010

PETALING JAYA: IJM Corp Bhd unit IJM Construction Sdn Bhd has secured a RM349.98mil job from Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) for the construction of the second Penang bridge.

The contract includes Package 3B: Batu Kawan Expressway which involves the construction of a 5.7km dual two-lane carriageway with a cloverleaf interchange and four bridges.

IJM told Bursa Malaysia that the construction period was 31 months from the date of site possession on June 28.

JKSB is a unit of the Minister of Finance, Inc.

The estimated cost of RM4.5bil may be revised downward due to competitive pricing, according to a recent news report.

The 24km second bridge will link Batu Kawan in Seberang Perai to Batu Maung on Penang island.

[4Human]

Nice project.

[Augusto]

Did I miss something or is there a project for a third bridge for the monorail on the map on the first page? Wouldn't it be possible to build the monorail above the existing bridge?

[nazrey]

Originally Posted by Augusto

Wouldn't it be possible to build the monorail above the existing bridge?

No...but the monorail possibly to build the third bridge for the monorail line which will linking between Georgetown and Buttorworth >

[nazrey]

Bridge boost for Batu Kawan
Friday July 9, 2010

THE development of Batu Kawan into a cyber city will be faster than Bertam, which is also designated for development into a cyber city.

investPenang executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon said the completion of the second Penang Bridge in 2013 would spur the transformation of Batu Kawan into a cyber city.

“There will be a lot of work to be done for Batu Kawan after that,” he told reporters after launching the MSC Malaysia industry briefing and dialogue organised by investPenang and Multi Media Development Corporation (MDeC) yesterday.

Also present was MDeC general manager (states rollout and cybercities) general manager Wee Huay Neo.

Lee said Bertam has been designated as Penang Cyber City (PCC 2) and Batu Kawan as PCC 3, after Bayan Baru, which is PCC 1.

“Bertam’s development into a cyber city will be slower because most of the land in the town is privately owned.

“Thus, unless the private developers initiate development to create the necessary basic telecommunication and power infrastructure to attract investors to move in, Bertam’s development as a cyber city will be slower,” he said.

To qualify for cyber city status, a town must meet certain criteria such as having an available talent pool, proximity to universities and research centres, a competitive environment to attract investments and knowledge workers, and an information, communication, and technology blueprint to provide value propositions for the local eco-nomy.

There are 10 cyber centres in the Klang Valley now. They include the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Cyberjaya, KL Sentral and Mid Valley City.

There are six cyber cities in the states of Kedah, Penang, Malacca, Perak, Johor and Pahang.

On investments into Penang, Lee said that enquiries to invest in Penang in the first half, had increased 100-fold compared to the same period last year.

“We have spoken to electronics, solar power and medical devices investors.

“We are working towards getting them to invest in Penang,” he said, adding that the state government’s target for foreign investments was RM4.2bil this year.

[prophecus1]

Second Penang bridge on course
By CHRISTINA CHIN
starmag@thestar.com.my


The sound of piling work on the new Penang bridge can be music to the ears, given its promise of smoother traffic.

WITH the Raya exodus poised to begin over the next few days, those headed for Penang are wont to sigh at the thought of traffic snarls in and around the island.

There was a time when crossing from Butterworth to George Town (and vice versa) entailed hours of sweating in the car, waiting for slow-mo ferries to transport vehicles across the narrow straits.

The 13.5km Penang Bridge, which opened to traffic in September 1985, brought welcome relief as it enabled traffic to zoom straight into Gelugor from Seberang Perai.

But over the years, traffic has built up again, especially with the latter area seeing a spate of growth recently. And come festive season, it’s back to the gridlock as hordes rush to balik kampung.

Well, Penangites and visitors to the Pearl of the Orient will have to be patient for a few more years, as the Second Penang Bridge is scheduled to roll out only in 2013. With the new link, island-bound traffic will be able to flow from Batu Kawan in Seberang Perai, to Batu Maung on the other end.

The update from Penang Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng is that more than 50% of piling work on the 24km second bridge has been completed. Casting of the segmental box girdle is in full swing and contracts for the land road developments have been awarded.

Overall, more than 25% of the mega project is done. It’s now time to go into full swing to make sure that the bridge is ready by September 2013, Lim says.

“Yes, the first Penang Bridge was expanded, but by 2012, traffic will again exceed its capacity. Now, we have 64,000 vehicles using the bridge daily – and that’s just one way. We’re expecting 80,000 vehicles in two years.

“We need the second bridge to divert at least 25% of the traffic from the first bridge. By the time the signages are ready and the tests and trial runs conducted, it will probably only be open to traffic early 2014.”

Lim admits that the state government does not have any power to ensure that the project is delivered on time, but he thinks the companies responsible will not risk having to pay liquidated damages which could amount to “tens of thousands (of ringgit) per day” to the federal government for any delay.

“The state gvernment can only monitor the cost and progress closely. Any delay will cause the cost to balloon from its estimated RM4.5bil.” Ultimately, it will be Penangites and other motorists who will have to bear the increase in the cost, through higher tolls, he says.


A UEM staff briefing Lim Guan Eng (right) at the Batu Kawan casting yard, during an inspection by the Penang Chief Minister last year.
In June, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in Parliament that come 2013, the toll rate for the second bridge would be RM1.90 for motorcycles; RM9.40 for cars, taxis and two-axle vans (except MPVs); RM16.20 for two-axle lorries, which include pick-ups and MPVs, and RM33.60 for vans, buses and six-wheeled lorries.

Currently, the toll for cars plying the Penang Bridge is RM7.

The second bridge project comprises three main packages: construction of the sub-structure by CHEC Construction Sdn Bhd (the local arm of China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd); casting of the segmental box girdle by UEM Builders Bhd; and construction of the Batu Kawan and Batu Maung exit and entry points and trumpet interchange by Cergas Murni, IJM Construction and HRA Teguh.

Package one includes piling and the building of pile caps, columns and the navigation span.

Lim says as of April this year, over 13% of this package has been completed “but CHEC will have to play catch up now because of delays caused when the company had to amend its pile caps and columns design to ensure that they can withstand an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale.

“Although big vessels will not be allowed to pass under the bridge, they must take into account the possibility of shipping accidents,” he says, adding that dredging work is almost done. Dredging is necessary to enable barges and machinery to access the site as the waters are too shallow.



The most difficult part of CHEC’s work is putting on the piling caps, he observes.

UEM has started casting more than 8,000 segmental box girdles and almost 20% of package two has been completed, as of April too.

As for package three, the contractors have their hands full with preliminary work, including setting up offices in Penang, mobilising their machinery and conducting land surveys.

Contracts for the construction of the toll plazas have yet to be awarded and the state has called on all the main contractors involved to engage Penang-based sub-contractors and to source for materials locally.

The second bridge, which will have a lifespan of 120 years, mirrors the first in design. Initially, there were plans for two viewing platforms, complete with restaurants, but that was scrapped due to a lack of funds. The platforms would have added another RM600mil to the costs.


A common scene as motorists head towards Penang island during festive periods. The new link is expected to reduce traffic on the existing bridge by about 25%.
The cost factor has also put the brakes on additional lanes to meet increasing traffic volume, down the road.

“Just like the first bridge, additional piling must be done if we want to expand the second bridge,” Lim says.

The first bridge has been widened from two to three lanes each way (except for the centrespan). The third lane opened in August last year.

To accommodate future expansion, additional piling should be done from the start. However, the cost of putting in place piling that allows for such expansion is equivalent to building one-and-a-half bridges, he estimates.

In an even more ideal scenario, the foundation piling of the Second Penang Bridge should accommodate a Light Rail Transit (LRT).

“In 10 to 30 years, an LRT could prove very important, especially if we can successfully promote the park and ride system of using public transportation. No doubt the investment will be great but it is very necessary,” says Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, former State Local Government and Traffic Committee chairman.

Dr Teng notes that Penang’s economy has been booming since the 90s, thanks to its electronics industry.

“We were transforming from a low-capital, high-labour economy to one that was low in human resource but high in capital investment. There was a need for better infrastructure and amenities such as power and water supply. Flooding problems and traffic jams had to be solved.

“Connectivity between the island and mainland was a big concern because in case anything were to happen on the existing bridge, it would be disastrous for the MNCs, especially with new industrial parks in Juru and Bukit Minyak coming up,” he explains.

It was decided that a second bridge would be that vital link, besides being “a lifeline for the state’s economy”. When completed, the bridge will “instil confidence in multi-national companies to expand their existing operations in the state, and attract new private investments,” Dr Teng says.

Initially, a Japanese company proposed a link between Tanjung Tokong on the island and Bagan on the mainland. It was rejected, for several reasons.

“The Japanese proposal was for an underwater tunnel and a bridge link, but they wanted to handle everything themselves, from the design and contractors to the material supplies. Furthermore, the sites of the link were already developed; we didn’t think the tunnel-bridge could add any value to these locations,” he adds.

So the planners looked south to Batu Maung, a relatively underdeveloped enclave compared to the rest of the island. Across the straits, Batu Kawan looked ideal to draw development to the south of Seberang Prai.

The proposal for the new bridge was approved by the federal government in 2004 and construction finally commenced on in November 2008, after months of delay caused by land acquisition issues.

Other grouses have surfaced since. In June this year, some 80 inshore fishermen in Kampung Changkat voiced unhappiness that mid-sea dredging by contractors at the second bridge construction site had affected marine life in the area.

They claimed that their catch had dropped drastically in the last 10 years, after the Pulau Burung sanitary landfill opened nearby. The situation has worsened since the bridge project started, they added.

The fishermen said they could hardly make RM10 per catch daily compared to nearly RM200 per catch daily previously.

A Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) report states that piling, dredging and landfill works, environment pollution and the movement of ships and boats in the area have all contributed to the dwindling catch.

State Agriculture, Rural Development and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Law Choo Kiang says the state government meets periodically with the fishermen’s association, LKIM and Fisheries Department to gather the information on this issue.

“Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) has also been instructed to complete a Fishery Impact Assessment and to follow every guideline set by the various technical departments including the Department of Environment, Land Office and LKIM and others.”

However, Law adds that dwindling catch is also a problem worldwide and cites climate change, water and sea pollution and lack of awareness of environmental protection as some of the factors behind that.

He “welcomes” federal government assistance to help with the ex-gratia payment proposed by LKIM and the Fisheries Department for fishermen and aquaculture owners affected by the second bridge. “We would like the federal government and JKSB to deal with this urgently.

“LKIM and the Fisheries Department have taken steps to alleviate the situation by placing artificial corals at Kendi Island and Gedung Island at a cost of RM400,000. Muka Head will be next,” he says.

[prophecus1]

Also Images from the same article post above



Heavy machinery in operation at the bridge site at Seberang Perai.




An artist’s impression of the new 24km link, which mirrors the existing Penang bridge in design.



And the rest area is swept under carpet due to high cost

[nazrey]

Originally Posted by nazrey

Progressing from http://www.uem.com.my/
LAND ACTIVITIES : Casting Yard

A general view of the casting yard for the second Penang bridge in Batu Kawan

Casting Yard

Originally Posted by hodaka

Penang 2nd Bridge Pipe Pile for Main Span foundation.. Delivery starting this month.

Originally Posted by hodaka

Pile Pile for 2nd Penang Bridge

[nazrey]

Penang Second Bridge

[nazrey]

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moedie_shotz/5534644559/