Penang Bridge

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The Template:MES-E is a Template:Convert<ref name="PLUS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="PBSB details">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> dual carriageway toll bridge and controlled-access highway in the Malaysian state of Penang. It connects Perai on the mainland side of the state with Gelugor on the island, crossing the Penang Strait. The bridge was the first and, until 2014, only road connection between the peninsula and the island. It is the second-longest bridge over water in Malaysia, with a length over water of Template:Convert.<ref name="PBSB details"/>

Penang Bridge was inaugurated on 14 September 1985.<ref name="PBSB info">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The current concession holder and maintainer is PLUS Expressways. Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd was the concession holder before it was merged with the current concessionaire.Template:When

History

Chronology

Date	Event
Early 1970s	The idea to build a bridge linking Seberang Perai to Penang Island was suggested by Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein and Chief Minister of Penang Lim Chong Eu.
23 July 1981	Works Minister Samy Vellu announced that Penang Bridge would be constructed using the cable-stayed concrete girders of the San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Speaking after his first cabinet meeting, prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said the government had picked the contractor for the job, though he declined to specify who it was.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1982	Construction of Penang Bridge officially began.
3 August 1985	Official opening of Penang Bridge by Prime Minister Mahathir.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
14 September 1985	Penang Bridge is officially opened to traffic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bridge widening

When the bridge was initially constructed, the central span had six lanes, while the rest of the bridge had four. Widening of the entire bridge to six lanes began in January 2008 and was completed in late 2009.

Features

Penang Bridge has an overall length of Template:Convert: Template:Convert above water, Template:Convert on Penang Island, and Template:Convert in Prai. The Template:Convert main span is Template:Convert above water, held up by four Template:Convert towers. The carriageway has three lanes in each direction and a speed limit of Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The bridge has an emergency lay-by equipped with an SOS phone.Template:Citation needed Traffic CCTV and VMS are installed at various locations.Template:Citation needed The bridge carries a Tenaga Nasional 132kV power cable.Template:Citation needed

Tolls

File:PenangBridge.jpg

Middle span of Penang Bridge

Since 1985, Penang Bridge has been tolled. Fees are charged only when entering from the mainland and travelling towards Penang Island. Since 1994, the tolls have been collected by a private concession company, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd, which has become a member of PLUS Malaysia Berhad. Beginning 1 January 2019, toll collection for motorcyclists, which used to be RM1.40, was abolished for both Penang bridges.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Electronic toll collection

As part of an initiative to facilitate faster transactions at the Perai toll plaza, they have been exclusively conducted via electronic toll collection with the use of Touch 'n Go cards and SmartTAGs since 9 September 2015.Template:Citation needed

Fares

(Since 1 February 2020)

Class	Types of vehicles	Rate (in Malaysian ringgit (RM))
1	Motorcycles (vehicles with two axles and two wheels)	Free
2	Cars & motorcycles with sidecars (vehicles with two axles and three or four wheels (including station wagons and commercial vehicles))	5.74
3A	Vans and & buses (vehicles with two axles and four wheels (excluding lorries))	9.84
3B	Lorries (vehicles with two axles and four wheels (excluding vans and buses))	12.00
4A	Vans & buses (vehicles with two axles and five or six wheels (excluding trucks))	20.50
4B	Large trucks (vehicles with two axles and five or six wheels (excluding vans and buses))	25.00
5A	Buses (vehicles with three axles (excluding trucks))	36.90
5B	Large trucks (vehicles with three axles (excluding buses))	45.00
6	Large trucks (vehicles with four axles)	60.00
7	Large trucks (vehicles with five or more axles)	75.00

List of interchanges

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Notes
			Template:MES-E Template:Jct North-South Expressway Northern Route North Alor Setar Permatang Pauh Seberang Jaya
Template:Jct Template:Jct North-South Expressway Northern Route
Template:Jct Template:Jct Penang Bridge (Tun Hussein Onn Highway)
Template:MES-E 0		Perai Interchange	Northwest Template:MES-E Template:JKR Butterworth Outer Ring Road Template:JKR Perai Template:JKR Butterworth Southeast Template:JKR Butterworth-Kulim Highway Template:JKR Bukit Mertajam	Partial cloverleaf interchange
		Railway crossing bridge
	Penang Bridge Interchange	3601A Template:MES-E Template:Jct North-South Expressway Northern Route South Kuala Lumpur Ipoh Bukit Tambun 3601B Template:JKR Jalan Perusahan Perai Northwest Perai Industrial Area Southeast Juru	3601A Stacked expressway interchange 3601B Cloverleaf interchange
Template:Jct Template:Jct Penang Bridge (Tun Hussein Onn Highway)
Template:Jct Penang Bridge
		U-Turn	U-TURN Template:MES-E Tun Hussein Onn Highway Perai Butterworth Template:Parking signs Template:TnG TAG
Perai toll plaza (PLAZA A) (Enter bridge only) PBSB Template:TAG Template:TnG Template:TnG POS MyRFID Opened toll system Pay toll Light and heavy vehicles only
Perai toll plaza (PLAZA B) (Enter bridge only) PBSB Template:TAG Template:TnG Template:TnG POS MyRFID Opened toll system Pay toll Light and heavy vehicles only
		Template:Parking Layby signs Perai toll plaza PBSB	Template:Parking signs Template:TnG TAG	Enter bridge only
		U-turn	U-TURN Template:MES-E Penang Bridge George Town Bayan Lepas Template:Parking signs Template:TnG TAG
		Penang Bridge Length over water: 8.4 kilometres
	3602A 3602B 3602C	Gelugor-Penang Bridge Interchange	3602B West Template:JKR Gelugor Highway Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) Regional office Jelutong Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Template:University sign Template:JKR Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (Bayan Lepas Expressway) 3602C North George Town/ Weld Quay Air Itam Batu Feringgi Penang Hospital Template:Hospital sign 3602A South Batu Maung Bayan Lepas Industrial area Penang International Airport Template:Airport signs Jerejak Island (Jetty)	Stacked expressway interchange
		Lotus's Penang	Template:Parking signs
	3602C North	Jalan Tengku Kudin Interchange	WEST Template:JKR(P) Penang Middle Ring Road Jalan Yengku Kudin Gelugor Batu Feringgi Tanjung Bungah Air Itam Penang Hospital Template:Hospital sign	Interchange from/to Penang Bridge and Bayan Lepas only
Template:Jct Penang Bridge (Template:JKR Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway) (Bayan Lepas Expressway) PBSB border limit
Template:JKR Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (Jelutong Expressway) JKR and MPPP border limit
			North Template:JKR Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (Jelutong Expressway) George Town/Weld Quay Komtar Ferry Sungai Pinang

3602B Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) link

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
		Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office	Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office
	3602B WEST	Universiti Sains Malaysia Interchange	Template:JKR Gelugor Highway North George Town City Centre Jelutong Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Template:University sign Penang Hospital Template:Hospital sign South Balik Pulau Bayan Lepas Penang International Airport Template:Airport signs	Trumpet interchange

Commemorative events

Commemorative postage stamps to mark the opening of Penang Bridge were issued by the Malaysian Postal Services Department (now Pos Malaysia) on 15 September 1985.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The denominations for these stamps were 20 sen, 40 sen, and RM 1.00.

Incidents and accidents

Over the years of its operation, the bridge has been a frequent spot for road accidents<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and suicides.

On 20 January 2019, two cars travelling mainland-bound collided, with one plunging into the Strait of Malacca.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A search operation was launched for the submerged car, and the victim was later found dead.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In popular culture

Penang Bridge became a subject matter in Lat's 1987 comic book Lat and Gang. On page 58, Lat illustrates various situations taking place on the bridge.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

See also

• North–South Expressway
• Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway

External links

• Satellite image of Penang Bridge on Google Maps
• Template:Structurae