Construction of Bukit Kukus paired highway 78 percent completed

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Construction works for the Jalan Paya Terubong (Jalan Bukit Kukus) paired highway linking Paya Terubong and Relau here are now 78 percent complete and users are expected to use the route by August next year.

Penang Town and Country Planning and Local Government Committee chairman, Jagdeep Singh Deo, said the project was supposed to reach an 86 per cent completion level but due to some unforeseen circumstances, it had to be temporarily halted and restarted last February.

"Although less than eight per cent (compared to the original schedule) of the completion phase due to the landslide in October last year, it will still reach its target period and the project is expected to be completed by July next year and will be opened to the people by August 2020.

"With this paired highway, it will solve the traffic congestion faced by Paya Terubong road users," he told reporters at the Jalan Bukit Kukus project site here.

The Penang Island city council (MBBP) project, which began on Jan 14, 2016 at a cost of RM545.6 million, was temporarily halted following a landslide on Oct 19 last year that killed nine foreign workers and injured four others, before resuming on Feb 28, following approval from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).

-- BERNAMA