The 10.61km North Coast Paired Road (NCPR) is part of the Penang undersea tunnel and roads project, which in turn is part of the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan.
The NCPR aims to reduce travel time from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang from 45 minutes to just seven minutes. Construction is expected to take five years, with completion targeted by 2031.
Chow said a new alignment has been introduced to reduce the project’s impact on densely populated areas. However, he said hill clearing was unavoidable, with 70% of the road cutting through hills.
Nonetheless, he said the new alignment would spare Chee Seng Gardens, Jalan Chan Siew Teong, Marvista and Beverly Hills, compared with the earlier alignment proposed a decade ago.
“The alignment has been modified to avoid a densely populated area, and the road will now extend out to the sea for part of the route,” he told a press conference here.
The Penang government will cover the cost of building 4.88km of the road by giving land at Gurney Bay to Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZC) instead of paying for the project in cash.
CZC will fund the construction of the remaining 5.73km through a contra deal, allowing them to offset development-related fees with their future projects in the state.
Chow said an environmental impact assessment (EIA) amendment was required for the new alignment, adding that this would take one and a half years to complete.
During this period, the state government and contractors involved will hold engagements with residents and get the necessary approvals for the project.
Presently, an EIA has already been granted for the project, as it was applied together with the undersea tunnel and roads project. Construction is expected to take five years, with the NCPR’s completion targeted for 2031.
The NCPR will have two sections – 8.41km of main road and 2.2km along the coast.
The road will start at Jalan Lembah Permai in Tanjung Bungah. Part of it will run along the coastline, going past the floating mosque and following the beach near Batu Ferringhi.
The road will have intersections at Jalan Sungai Emas, Batu Ferringhi (Chin Farm traffic lights) and Teluk Bahang.