PM: Bridge a catalyst for growth

With over 10,000 people watching, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Saturday officially opened the Second Penang Bridge, which was later renamed as the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge.

The 24km dual-carriage bridge - of which 17km is above the sea and seven kilometres over land - will stimulate the economic growth of the state, particularly the industrial zone at Batu Kawan.

Apart from reducing congestion on the existing Penang Bridge, the new bridge, mooted by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and realised by Tun Abdullah, will narrow down the social and economic development gap between Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland.

Najib in his blog on Wednesday expressed his joy and hopes on the launch of the Second Penang Bridge, which according to him it will act as a medium for more economic activities around the northern region.

The premier believes an efficient transportation system is one of the most important components of growth. As such, Najib said, the government has set continuous plans to improve public transportation and infrastructures – LRT, MRT, improvements in railway connectivity, highways around Peninsula and East Malaysia – to ensure social mobility for all Malaysians.

Najib also foresees that the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge will eventually become a national icon much like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

Built at a cost of RM4.5 billion, the northern region can now look forward to shifting their economic focus from agriculture to industry. This shift, Najib said, is expected to provide some 65,000 job opportunities created by the development projects surrounding the bridge.

The bridge – connecting Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland – will also serve as an alternate crossing to Penang, greatly easing congesting and in turn tremendously boosting the income potential and quality of life of the people in the surrounding areas.

Najib said, the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge is in itself a modern day engineering marvel. Spanning 24 kilometres it is the longest bridge in South East Asia. It is also the longest bridge in the world incorporating High Damping Rubber Bearing (HDRB) in its seismic isolation system.

Another innovative feature is the emphasis on environmental friendliness in the design and construction of the toll plaza serving the bridge. It carries a Gold rating of 80 percent on the Green Building Index (GBI). This measure is aimed at promoting energy efficiency, internal environmental quality and sustainability in operating the Toll Plaza.