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Remarks by Chief Minister of Penang YAB Lim Guan Eng on roads and tunnel projects in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 28th April 2011: Remarks on roads and tunnel projects There was an exchange of a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today in Putrajaya between the Penang State Government and Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Razak and China Premier Wen Jia Bao. The MOU is a proposal for three multi-billion Ringgit road and tunnel projects, namely:
BUCG is a state-owned conglomerate in China responsible for building the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium used in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Pending technical studies and reports that will take at least 6 months, the Penang State Government will then issue an RFP (Request For Proposal) for other interested parties to participate in an Open Tender on the three projects. The two proposed bypasses, from Gurney Drive to Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu and from Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu to Bandar Baru Air Itam, are meant to alleviate congestion in these notorious choke points. We anticipate traffic in these areas to ease up by at least 40% once completed. Meanwhile, the proposed tunnel will, in addition to the existing Penang Bridge and the Second Link that is under construction, greatly improve interconnectivity between the island and mainland Penang. In particular, this tunnel will bring great benefit to Butterworth and the entire region of Seberang Perai Utara, encompassing Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor, and we expect this to be a catalyst for the greater integration of the two parts of Penang. We hope that these projects will help to ease traffic congestion, as well as integrate and transform Penang into an intelligent and international city. *Lim Guan Eng, Penang Chief Minister
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