Penang Bridge
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| Penang Bridge | |
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| Official name | Penang Bridge |
| Malay name | Jambatan Pulau Pinang |
| Locale | Penang Bridge, North-South Expressway Northern Route |
| Carries | Motor vehicles |
| Crosses | South Channel, Penang |
| Longest span | 225m |
| Total length | 13.5km |
| Width | -- |
| Opening date | 1985 |
| Maintained by | PLUS Expressway Berhad Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd |
| Design | cable stayed bridge |
| Designer/clients | Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM) |
| Contractor/construction | Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company (Korea) Ltd United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM) |
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 PLUS Expressway Berhad (Insert logo image here) Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) |
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| E 1 E1 expressway |
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| Length: | 13.5 km |
| Direction: | West→East |
| Start: | Gelugor |
| Main destinations: | Butterworth Perai Gelugor George Town |
| End: | Perai |
| Construction dates: | 1982 - 1985 |
| Expressway joined: | E 17Butterworth Outer Ring Road E 1 AH 2North-South Expressway Northern Route 1331Jelutong Expressway 1331Bayan Lepas Expressway 6Gelugor Highway |
| Asian Highway Network: | none |
| Technical specifications | |
| Development Cost: | |
| Number of lanes: | 4 lanes carriageway except in the central span where it is 6 lanes |
| Interchanges: | 5 |
| Toll plazas: | 2 |
| P Layby: | none |
| R&R Rest and Service Area: | none |
| R&R Overhead Bridge Restaurant: | none |
| V Vista Point: | none |
| Highway tunnels: | none |
| Type of roads: | Tarmac |
| Toll systems: | Open toll systems |
The Penang Bridge (Jambatan Pulau Pinang in Malay) E 1 is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to traffic on September 14, 1985. The total length of the bridge is 13.5 km (8.4 miles), making it among the longest bridges in the world as well as a national landmark. PLUS Expressway Berhad is the concession holder who manages it.
Before 1985, transportation between the island and the mainland was solely dependent on the state-owned Penang Ferry Service that runs between Butterworth and George Town.
Similar to the ferry services in Penang, motorists only need to pay the toll fare while heading to the island. There is no charge for leaving the island.
Currently, the Penang Bridge is being expanded from 4 lanes to 6 lanes to accommodate the increasing traffic on the bridge. A proposal for a second bridge, the Penang Second Bridge, has been approved by the government and included as one of the Ninth Malaysia Plan national projects.
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[edit] History
[edit] Chronology
- Early 1970s - The ideas to built the bridge linking Seberang Perai to Penang Island was initiated by the late Tun Abdul Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia
- End of 1970s - The bridge was planned during the term of third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn.
- 23 July 1981 - Work Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced that the Penang Bridge, Penang would be constructed using the cable-stayed concrete girder of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
- 1982 - Construction of the Penang Bridge officially began.
- 3 August 1985 - Official opening of the Penang Bridge by the fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad. He drove across the bridge in a red Proton Saga (a national car), carrying the national flag to officiate the opening ceremony.
- 14 September - Penang Bridge was opened to traffic for the first time.
- 15 August 1993 - Penang Bridge has now managed by the highway concessionaries Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd from the government body Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM)
- 4 April - A bomb hoax found at the Penang Bridge caused the bridge to close for more than two hours (from 4:30 pm) and reopened to traffic at 7:00 pm after a bomb disposal squad declared it safe.
[edit] Bridge specifications
- Overall Length: 13.5 km (8.4 miles)[citation needed]
- Length Over Water: 8.4 km (5.2 miles)
- Penang Island Viaduct & Approach: 1.5 km (0.9 miles)
- Prai Approach: 3.6 km (2.2 miles)
- Carriageway: 2 lanes per carriageway except in the central span where it is 3. Work to widen the entire bridge to 3 lanes per carriageway has begun.
- Height of Tower Above Water: 101.5 m
- Height of Bridge Above Water: 33 m
- Main Span: 225 m
- End Span: 107.5 m
- Other Span: 40 m
- Speed limit: 80 km/h
- Maximum Gradient: 3.0%
[edit] Features
The bridge has an SOS emergency feature and traffic CCTV. The Gelugor Complex Interchange is the largest highway interchange in Malaysia.
[edit] Toll rates
Since 1985, Penang Bridge has been a tolled bridge. The first concession was a government body, the Malaysian Highway Authority. Since 1993, toll collection has been undertaken by a private concession company, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd. However, On 1 September 2003, this company became a member of PLUS Expressway Berhad.
This table below is a list of toll rates for various vehicles crossing the bridge:-
| Class | Type of vehicles | Rate (in Malaysian Ringgit (RM)) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorcycles | RM 1.40 |
| 2 | Motorcycle with sidecars, cars including station wagon and commercial vehicles on three wheels | RM 7.00 |
| 3 | Lorries, vans and buses with two axles and four wheels | RM 12.00 |
| 4 | Lorries, vans and buses with two axles and five and six wheels | RM 25.00 |
| 5 | Vehicles with three axles | RM 45.00 |
| 6 | Vehicles with four axles | RM 60.00 |
| 7 | Vehicles with five and more axles | RM 75.00 |
- Note: Touch 'n Go is also available for light vehicles and motorcycles. Smart TAG lane are for light vehicles only. As part of the concessionaire's initiative to increase use of the more efficient electronic payment system, Touch 'n Go and Smart TAG, users receive a 20% discount on the Penang Bridge toll.
[edit] List of Interchanges
This is a list of interchanges of the Penang Bridge.
| Km | Exit | Interchange | To | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E 1 AH 2NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE NORTH Sungai Petani Alor Star Bukit Kayu Hitam |
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| E 1 AH 2 NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE | |||||
| E 1 PENANG BRIDGE | |||||
| Perai | WEST E 17 1 BUTTERWORTH OUTER RING ROAD 1Perai 1Butterworth EAST 1 137 BUTTERWORTH-KULIM HIGHWAY 1Bukit Mertajam |
Parcelo cloverleaf interchange | |||
| A B |
Penang Bridge | INTERCHANGE A E 1 AH 2NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE SOUTH Taiping Ipoh Kuala Lumpur INTERCHANGE B Perai Industrial Area Jalan Perusahaan |
INTERCHANGE A Stacked expressway interchange INTERCHANGE B Cloverleaf interchange |
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| Perai toll plaza (PLAZA A) (Enter bridge only) PBSB TAG TnG TnG POS RM (Cash) Opened toll system Pay toll |
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| Perai toll plaza (PLAZA B) (Enter bridge only) PBSB TAG TnG TnG POS RM (Cash) Opened toll system Pay toll |
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| Perai toll plaza PBSB TnG TAG i Customer Service Centre |
 TnG TAG iCustomer Service Centre |
Enter bridge only | |||
| Penang Bridge 13.5 kilometres |
Start/End of Bridge | ||||
| 5.1 - 5.9 | Penang Bridge | Central span cable stayed bridge six lane carriageway |
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| Penang Bridge 13.5 kilometres |
Start/End of Bridge | ||||
| Gelugor | SOUTH 1331BAYAN LEPAS EXPRESSWAY Bayan Lepas Penang International Airport WEST 6GELUGOR HIGHWAY Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office Gelugor Jalan Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) NORTH Jalan Tengku Kudin 1331JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY George Town |
Stacked expressway interchange | |||
| WEST | Universiti Sains Malaysia | 6GELUGOR HIGHWAY Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) |
Trumpet interchange | ||
| NORTH | Jalan Tengku Kudin | P19PENANG MIDDLE RING ROAD Jalan Tengku Kudin Jalan Masjid Negeri |
Interchange from/to Penang Bridge and Bayan Lepas only | ||
| 1331JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY George Town |
PLUS Expressway border limit JKR and MPPP border limit |
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[edit] Interesting facts
- Penang Bridge toll plaza (Prai) is the first toll plaza in Malaysia to introduce toll payment by Contactless Smart Card.
- Penang Bridge toll plaza (Prai) is the first toll plaza in Malaysia with smart card payment for all classes of vehicles.
[edit] Major events
[edit] Penang Bridge International Marathon
The Penang Bridge International Marathon is held every year since 1985.
The premier run in Malaysia to celebrate the 21st Anniversary of the opening of Penang Bridge, the Penang Bridge International Marathon, had been held on July 30, 2006 in Penang.
Participants ran over the third longest bridge in the world - the Penang Bridge - and along a scenic coastal highway. This is the only time of the year when the bridge is closed for several hours.
The biggest run in the country incorporates a marathon, a half-marathon and a quarter-marathon. The Run catered both to serious runners and amateur ones. It promoted healthy living and built a sense of community.
This is in addition to trophies, finisher medals, certificates and prizes donated by sponsors. In the past, this has included air tickets, hotel stays and household electrical goods.
The run was jointly organised by the Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang) and Malaysian Highway Authority with the co-operation of the Penang Government, the Penang Amateur Athletic Association, the Penang Youth and Sports Department , University Science Malaysia, Penang Tourism Action Council and Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd.
For more information see also Penang Bridge International Marathon website
[edit] See also
- Penang Second Bridge
- Penang
- North-South Expressway
- Jelutong Expressway
- Touch 'n Go
- Smart TAG
- Road signs in Malaysia
- Malaysian Federal Roads system
- Malaysian State Roads system
- Malaysian expressway system
[edit] External links
- PLUS Expressway Berhad
- Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd
- Malaysian Highway Authotity
- Satellite Image of the Penang Bridge at Google Maps
- Penang Bridge Blog - maintained by Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd, the bridge's operator
- Penang Bridge - Penang National Landmark
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| E 1 North-South Expressway Northern Route (including New Klang Valley Expressway and Penang Bridge) • E 2 North-South Expressway Southern Route • E 3 Second Link Expressway • E 6 North-South Expressway Central Link • E 29 Seremban-Port Dickson Highway • 1 Skudai Highway (until 1 March 2004) and Johor-Singapore Causeway • 2 Federal Highway |
