Penang’s PAN 1 project to go ahead amid environmental concerns

Malaysia’s Penang state has approved the PAN 1 Highway project but with conditions attached following an environmental impact study. Work could start next year on the 19.5km project – officially called the Pan Island Link 1 - that will likely cost around US$1.7 billion, according to a report in the newspaper Sundaily. The project will consist of 7.6km of viaducts, four tunnel sections totalling 10.1km in length and embankment sections totalling 1.8km. Penang Island, around 300km², is the main islan
April 17, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Malaysia’s Penang state has approved the PAN 1 Highway project but with conditions attached following an environmental impact study.


Work could start next year on the 19.5km project – officially called the Pan Island Link 1 - that will likely cost around US$1.7 billion, according to a report in the newspaper Sundaily.

The project will consist of 7.6km of viaducts, four tunnel sections totalling 10.1km in length and embankment sections totalling 1.8km.

Penang Island, around 300km², is the main island of the state of Penang, located at the Malacca Strait, off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The island is home to nearly half of Penang state's population, including the city of George Town with a population of more than 710,000. The historical centre of George Town has been a 1384 UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.

The project will consist of a six-lane highway to alleviate congestion on local roads across the island, including the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and surrounding arterial roads.
 
The Department of Environment approved PAN 1 but with 56 conditions attached, according to Chow Kon Yeow, chief minister of Penang state and who made the announcement.

However, some environmental groups expressed concern over the highway’s impact on the countryside, including any dangers to heritage sites.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Contracts are about to be signed for the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link
    March 13, 2015
    Nearly eight years after Denmark and Germany agreed to construct a major undersea road and rail tunnel, the first contracts are about to be signed. David Arminas reports. Construction is due to start later this year on one of Europe’s most ambitious, as well as the world’s longest, road and rail tunnels, the 17.6km Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link between Germany and Denmark. Fehmarnbelt is expected to cost around US$7.5 billion and be five times the length of the Øresund tunnel between the Danish capital Copenhagen
    Read More
  • India plans major infrastucture investment
    April 5, 2012
    India says it turned its Commonwealth Games into a world-class success, and now it aims to do the same with its infrastructure. Patrick Smith reports On October, 2010 India put itself on the world stage, and disaster appeared to loom as a catalogue of problems dogged its biggest ever sporting event. Costing nearly US$2 billion to stage, the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever were, according to some, in doubt. After years of planning some projects were incomplete, there were health scares and a br
    Read More
  • More EU money for Fehmarn Belt Link
    July 4, 2022
    The money underlines the importance of the 17.6km Fehmarnbelt tunnel project for the entire European road network.
    Read More
  • Black sea countries complete preparations for implementation of Black Sea Ring project
    August 23, 2016
    The Black Sea Ring Road project will improve transport connections for the region - Eugene Gerden writes. Russia has officially started implementation of a project, known as the Black Sea Ring Road, which involves building a four-lane highway system connecting the countries surrounding the Black Sea. The Black Sea Ring Road is a substantial project, a highway measuring some 7,140km in all. Among the countries participating in the project are Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Greece and
    Read More

Highlighted Content