He said the state government had given the project’s contractor, Consortium Zenith Construction (CZC) Sdn Bhd, a few months to come up with a new design and feasibility study.
“CZC is planning to refine the original design as there were concerns by stakeholders, so we are still far away from the implementation stage.
“With a new design, we will need a new feasibility study,” he told reporters in Komtar here.
When asked if the third link from the mainland to the island would be changed from an undersea tunnel to a cross-channel bridge, Chow remained tight-lipped.
“I can only reveal this once the feasibility study of this new design is complete,” he said.
The project, first proposed in 2011, has faced repeated delays. Chow said it would take more time as it involved three key road components connecting to the tunnel.
This includes the 10km North Coast Paired Road (NCPR) linking Tanjung Bungah to Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang.
Chow also cited land preparation issues, as the state government’s payment to contractors, in the form of reclaimed land, was not yet ready.
“We must align the construction timeline with the availability of the reclaimed land, which we will use to pay our contractors.
“If the land is not ready, we cannot make the necessary payments, which would also create difficulties for the contractors. Therefore, proper scheduling is crucial,” he said.
The state government signed a RM6.3 billion deal in 2011 with a consortium led by Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) and several local firms for the undersea tunnel and three road projects.
BUCG was removed from the consortium following a fatal crane accident in Kuala Lumpur in 2016.
The tunnel project has yet to take off, pending a feasibility study. The proposed 7.2km tunnel would connect Pangkor Road and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth, with construction previously slated to start in 2023.
The state is set to grant contractors a concession to operate, maintain, and collect tolls from the tunnel for at least 30 years.
The three roads that are part of the tunnel project are: Air Itam to LCE Expressway (5.7km), the NCPR (10.53km), and Jalan Pangkor-Gurney Drive to LCE Expressway (4.1km).
According to past state Public Accounts Committee reports, the entire project, including the tunnel and roads, will cost RM6.3 billion.
The feasibility study and detailed design will cost RM305 million, land acquisition RM546 million, and the remaining RM5.49 billion will go towards construction.
So far, only one component – the road linking Air Itam to a coastal highway – has begun. This is 73% complete.