“Malaysians are not like the deputy prime minister. When we are stuck in a traffic jam, we cannot just call a helicopter to airlift us. We do not have that kind of luxury.
“Even as chief minister, I also cannot afford to call a helicopter. We can only see the helicopter fly over us while we are stuck in the jam for a few hours,” he told reporters today.
Lim said an accident on the Penang Bridge yesterday caused a massive traffic jam, and showed the seriousness of traffic congestion in the state.
“This is why the state government has to find ways to alleviate the situation, and had suggested the undersea tunnel as the third link from Gurney-Drive to Bagan Ajam,” he added.
He said the second bridge, the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, was too far away.
He said this was why a third link was needed for those coming from the northern parts of the island.
“We suggested the undersea tunnel. Unfortunately, Barisan Nasional (BN) sabotaged the project because they cannot see Penangites having it easy.
“If life is easy for Penangites, they will not support BN,” he said.
The massive infrastructure project, which also involves the building of three main roads, has come under attack from BN leaders, and is currently under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The 7.2km undersea tunnel will connect George Town’s Pangkor Road and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth, and is scheduled to begin in 2023.
The three main roads (formerly three paired roads) stretch from Air Itam to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (5.7km), Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang (10.53km), and Jalan Pangkor-Gurney Drive junction to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (4.1km).
Lim today also questioned a claim by MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong that the tunnel was not needed as there was still 50% available capacity for the second bridge.
“This 50% available capacity is for now,” said the DAP secretary-general. “In 10 years, the available capacity will be zero and filled instead with traffic congestion.”
He said in order to insulate against rising building and construction costs in 10 years, the state government has locked in the costs at present prices.
He pointed out that as the state government has no cash, they had no choice but to finance the project through a land swap.
“The state government also seeks to maximise our land value, by assessing it not at current value when the agreement was signed in 2013. Instead it is to be assessed at a possible future value of RM1,300 per square feet in 2023, when construction of the tunnel commences.