Penang Bridge
PenangSentral.com » Penang Tourist Attractions » Penang Bridge
Popular as the third longest bridge in the world, Penang Bridge facilitates
the link between Gelugor on the island of Penang to Seberang Prai on the Malay
Peninsula. This bridge which was opened to public transport in 1985, also leads
to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang.
Before this bridge was built, the connectivity between Penang and the mainland
of Malaysia was carried out by Ferry Services that you could avail from
Butterworth to Georgetown.
The bridge has an overall length of 13.5 km, four towers in mid span his 101.5
metres tall, and is 33 metres above water. The total length of piling for the
bridge is 648 km, equal to the distance from Butterworth to Johor Bahru.
The Bridge can withstand earthquake up to 7.5 on the Richter scale. More than
2300 people were involved in the construction, including about 800 South Koreans
from the main contractor, Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. Sadly to
say, twenty workers loss their life during the construction.
The Penang Bridge International Marathon is held annually to commemorate the
opening of Penang Bridge. Local and international participant took part in a run
that incorporates a marathon, a half-marathon and a quarter-marathon. During
this marathon, traffic is suspended on the bridge for hours. This is the only
time of the year when the bridge is closed for several hours.
Today, with the massive industrial & project development in the island and the
mainland, the iconic Penang Bridge had start to exceed its capacity. Traffic
starts to pile up especially during peak hours. The traveling speed start to go
down as more vehicle plying the over the 'stuff' bridge daily.
Fast Facts about Penang Bridge
Length: 13.5 km
Opened to public transport: 1985
Carriageway: 2 lanes per carriageway
Management: Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd
Tel: 604 398 7419 / 7421
Fax: 604 399 2578
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