Penang Bridge

The Penang Bridge (Jambatan Pulau Pinang in Malay) E 36 is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to traffic on September 14 1985. The total length of the bridge is 13.5 km (8.4 miles), making it among the longest bridges in the world, the longest bridge in the country as well as a national landmark. PLUS Expressway Berhad is the concession holder which manages it.

Before 1985, transportation between the island and the mainland was solely dependent on the state-owned Penang Ferry Service that runs between Butterworth and George Town.

Similar to the ferry services in Penang, toll is only paid when heading to the island. There is no charge for leaving the island.

Currently, the Penang Bridge is being expanded from 4 lanes to 6 lanes to accommodate the increasing traffic on the bridge. A proposal for a second bridge, the Penang Second Bridge, has been approved by the government and included as one of the Ninth Malaysia Plan national projects. Construction work of the new Penang Second Bridge began in November 2007, and the target completion date is before the end of 2010.

History

Chronology

E 36 E36 expressway
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Length (kilometres)	13.5 km
Direction	West→East
Start	Gelugor
Main destinations	Butterworth Perai Gelugor George Town
End	Perai
Construction dates	1982 - 1985
Road/Expressway joined	E 17Butterworth Outer Ring Road E 1 AH 2North-South Expressway Northern Route 3113Jelutong Expressway 3113Bayan Lepas Expressway 6Gelugor Highway
Asian Highway Network	none
Technical specifications
Number of lanes	4 lanes carriageway except in the central span where it is 6 lanes
Interchanges	5
Toll plazas	2
P Layby:	none
R&R Rest and Service Area	none
R&R Overhead Bridge Restaurant	none
V Vista Point	none
Highway tunnels	none
Type of roads	Highway bridge Tarmac
Toll systems	Open toll systems
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• Early 1970s - The idea to build a bridge linking Seberang Perai to Penang Island was initiated by the late Tun Abdul Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia
• End of 1970s - The bridge was planned during the term of third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn.
• 23 July 1981 - Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced that the Penang Bridge, Penang would be constructed using the cable-stayed concrete girder of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• 1982 - Construction of the Penang Bridge officially began.
• 3 August 1985 - Official opening of the Penang Bridge by the fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad. He drove across the bridge in a red Proton Saga (a national car), carrying the national flag to officiate the opening ceremony.
• 14 September - Penang Bridge was opened to traffic for the first time.
• 15 August 1993 - Penang Bridge is now managed by the highway concessionaries Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd
• 4 April 2007 - A bomb hoax found at the Penang Bridge caused the bridge to close for more than two hours (from 4:30 pm) and reopened to traffic at 7:00 pm after a bomb disposal squad declared it safe.

Bridge specifications^[1]

• Overall Length: 13.5 km (8.4 miles)
• Length Over Water: 8.4 km (5.2 miles)
• Penang Island Viaduct & Approach: 1.5 km (0.9 miles)
• Prai Approach: 3.6 km (2.2 miles)
• Carriageway: 2 lanes per carriageway except in the central span where it is 3. Work to widen the entire bridge to 3 lanes per carriageway has begun.
• Height of Tower Above Water: 101.5 m
• Height of Bridge Above Water: 33 m
• Main Span: 225 m
• End Span: 107.5 m
• Other Span: 40 m
• Speed limit: 80 km/h
• Maximum Gradient: 3.0%

Features

The bridge has an SOS emergency feature and traffic CCTV. The Gelugor Complex Interchange is the largest highway interchange in Malaysia.

Toll rates

Since 1985, Penang Bridge has been a tolled bridge. The toll is charged as you enter the bridge from the mainland end towards Penang Island. There is no toll imposed for mainland-bound motorists coming from the island.

The first concession was a government body, the Malaysian Highway Authority. Since 1993, toll collection has been undertaken by a private concession company, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd. However, On 1 September 2003, this company became a member of PLUS Expressway Berhad.

This table below is a list of toll rates for various vehicles crossing the bridge:-

Note: Touch 'n Go is also available for light vehicles and motorcycles. Smart TAG lane are for light vehicles only. As part of the concessionaire's initiative to increase use of the more efficient electronic payment system, user with Touch 'n Go card (and Smart TAG) issued from Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd office will receive a 20% discount on the Penang Bridge toll.

List of Interchanges

This is a list of interchanges of the Penang Bridge.

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
			E 1 AH 2NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE NORTH Bukit Kayu Hitam Alor Star Seberang Jaya
E 1 AH 2 NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE
E 36 PENANG BRIDGE (TUN HUSSEIN ONN HIGHWAY)
		Perai	WEST E 17 1 BUTTERWORTH OUTER RING ROAD 1Perai 1Butterworth EAST 1 137 BUTTERWORTH-KULIM HIGHWAY 1Bukit Mertajam	Parcelo cloverleaf interchange
		Railway crossing bridge
	EXIT 3601A EXIT 3601B	PENANG BRIDGE INTERCHANGE	EXIT 3601A E 1 AH 2NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE SOUTH Taiping Ipoh Kuala Lumpur EXIT 3601B 3112 JALAN PERUSAHAAN Perai Industrial Area	EXIT 3601A Stacked expressway interchange EXIT 3601B Cloverleaf interchange
E 36 PENANG BRIDGE (TUN HUSSEIN ONN HIGHWAY)
E 36 PENANG BRIDGE
		U-Turn	U-Turn Perai Butterworth TnG TAG i Customer Service Centre
Perai toll plaza (PLAZA A) (Enter bridge only) PBSB TAG TnG TnG POS RM (Cash) Opened toll system Pay toll
Perai toll plaza (PLAZA B) (Enter bridge only) PBSB TAG TnG TnG POS RM (Cash) Opened toll system Pay toll
		P Perai toll plaza PBSB	Image:Zeichen 314.svg TnG TAG i Customer Service Centre	Enter bridge only
		U-Turn	U-Turn PENANG BRIDGE George Town Bayan Lepas TnG TAG i Customer Service Centre
		Penang Bridge 13.5 kilometres		Start/End of Bridge
5.1 - 5.9		Penang Bridge		Central span Cable stayed bridge Six lane carriageway
		Penang Bridge 13.5 kilometres		Start/End of Bridge
	EXIT 3602A EXIT 3602B EXIT 3602C	GELUGOR INTERCHANGE	EXIT 3602A SOUTH 3113BAYAN LEPAS EXPRESSWAY Bayan Lepas Penang International Airport EXIT 3602B WEST 6GELUGOR HIGHWAY Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office Gelugor Jalan Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) EXIT 3602C NORTH Jalan Tengku Kudin 3113JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY George Town	Stacked expressway interchange
	EXIT 3602B WEST	Universiti Sains Malaysia	6GELUGOR HIGHWAY Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)	Trumpet interchange
		Tesco Penang	Image:Zeichen 314.svg
	EXIT 3602C NORTH	Jalan Tengku Kudin	P19PENANG MIDDLE RING ROAD JALAN TENGKU KUDUN Jalan Masjid Negeri	Interchange from/to Penang Bridge and Bayan Lepas only
E 36 PENANG BRIDGE PLUS Expressway border limit
3113 JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY JKR and MPPP border limit
			SOUTH 3113JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY George Town

Interesting facts

• Penang Bridge toll plaza (Prai) is the first toll plaza in Malaysia to introduce toll payment by Contactless Smart Card.
• Penang Bridge toll plaza (Prai) is the first toll plaza in Malaysia with smart card payment for all classes of vehicles.

Major events

Penang Bridge International Marathon

The Penang Bridge International Marathon is held every year since 1985.

The premier run in Malaysia to celebrate the 21st Anniversary of the opening of Penang Bridge, the Penang Bridge International Marathon, had been held on July 30, 2006 in Penang. The run will be held again on 24 June 2007.

Participants ran over the third longest bridge in the world - the Penang Bridge - and along a scenic coastal highway. This is the only time of the year when the bridge is closed for several hours.

The biggest run in the country incorporates a marathon, a half-marathon and a quarter-marathon. The Run catered both to serious runners and amateur ones. It promoted healthy living and built a sense of community.

This is in addition to trophies, finisher medals, certificates and prizes donated by sponsors. In the past, this has included air tickets, hotel stays and household electrical goods.

The run was jointly organised by the Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang) and Malaysian Highway Authority with the co-operation of the Penang Government, the Penang Amateur Athletic Association, the Penang Youth and Sports Department , University Science Malaysia, Penang Tourism Action Council and Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd.

For more information see also Penang Bridge International Marathon website

See also

• Penang Second Bridge
• Penang
• North-South Expressway
• Jelutong Expressway
• Touch 'n Go
• Smart TAG
• Road signs in Malaysia
• Malaysian Federal Roads system
• Malaysian State Roads system
• Malaysian expressway system

References

External links

• PLUS Expressway Berhad
• Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd
• Malaysian Highway Authotity
• Satellite Image of the Penang Bridge at Google Maps
• Penang Bridge Blog - maintained by Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd, the bridge's operator
• Penang Bridge - Penang National Landmark
• Penang Bridge in the Structurae database

v • d • e North-South Expressway Interchanges
E 1 AH 2 North-South Expressway Northern Route	Bukit Kayu Hitam • Changlun • Jitra (North) • Jitra (South) • Kepala Batas • Alor Star (North) • Alor Star (South) • Pendang • Gurun • Sungai Petani (North) • Sungai Petani (South) • Bertam • Sungai Dua • Permatang Pauh • Seberang Jaya • Perai • Penang Bridge • Juru • Bukit Tambun • Jawi • Bandar Baharu • Bukit Merah • Taiping (North) • Changkat Jering • Kuala Kangsar • Jelapang • Ipoh (North) • Ipoh (South) • Simpang Pulai • Gopeng • Tapah • Bidor • Sungkai • Slim River • Behrang • Tanjung Malim • Lembah Beringin • Bukit Tagar • Bukit Beruntung • Rawang • Rawang (South) • Hospital Sungai Buloh • Sungai Buloh • Bukit Lanjan
E 1 New Klang Valley Expressway	Bukit Raja • Setia Alam • Shah Alam • Subang • Damansara • Kota Damansara • Jalan Duta
E 6 North-South Expressway Central Link	Shah Alam • Ebor • Seafield • USJ • Putra Heights # • Bandar Saujana Putra • Putrajaya • KLIA • Salak Tinggi ^ • Dengkil ^ • Bandar Baru Nilai ^ • Nilai (North)
E 2 AH 2 North-South Expressway Southern Route	UPM • Kajang • Bangi • Putra Mahkota • Nilai (North) • Nilai • Seremban • Port Dickson • Senawang • Pedas/Linggi • Simpang Ampat • Ayer Keroh • Jasin • Tangkak • Pagoh • Yong Peng (North) • Yong Peng (South) • Ayer Hitam • Machap • Simpang Renggam • Sedenak • Kulai • Senai (North) • Skudai • Kempas • Dato' Onn • Pasir Gudang • Johor Bahru
Legend - # denotes interchange under construction, ^ for under development.

v • d • e Malaysian Expressway System
History	Chronology of Malaysian Expressway System events
Toll rates	North-South Expressway • East Coast Expressway
Interstate	E 1 North-South Expressway Northern Route (including New Klang Valley Expressway) • E 2 North-South Expressway Southern Route • E 6 North-South Expressway Central Link (NSECL/ELITE) • E 8 Karak Expressway and East Coast Expressway (LPT/ECE) • E 15 Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE) • E 21 # Kajang-Seremban Highway (KASEH) • E 28 ^ West Coast Expressway (LPB/WCE)
Klang Valley and Selangor	E 4 # Shah Alam-Kemuning Highway • E 5 Shah Alam Expressway (SAE/KESAS) • E 7 Cheras - Kajang Expressway (CKE/Grand Saga) • E 9 Sungai Besi Expressway (SBE/BESRAYA) • E 10 New Pantai Expressway (NPE) • E 11 Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) • E 12 Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) • E 16 # Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) • E 18 Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK) • E 20 Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Expressway (KLPE) • E 23 Sprint Expressway (Kerinchi Link, Damansara Link and Penchala Link) • E 25 ^ Assam Jawa-Templer Park Highway (LATAR) • E 26 South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) • E 30 New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB) • E 35 Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE) • E 37 Salak Expressway (East-West) and Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway • E 38 Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART Tunnel)
Johor	E 3 Second Link Expressway (Malaysia-Singapore Second Link) (MSSC/LINKEDUA) • E 13 ^ Muar-Segamat Highway • E 14 ^ JB Eastern Dispersal Link • E 22 # Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE)
Penang	E 17 Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) • E -- # Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) • E 22 # Penang Second Bridge • E 36 Penang Bridge
Others	E 19 ^ Ipoh-Lumut Expressway • E 29 Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (SPDH)
Legend - # denotes highway under construction, ^ for under development.

v • d • e PLUS Expressway Networks
E 1 North-South Expressway Northern Route (including New Klang Valley Expressway) • E 2 North-South Expressway Southern Route • E 3 Second Link Expressway • E 6 North-South Expressway Central Link (including Putrajaya Link) • E 29 Seremban-Port Dickson Highway • E 36 Penang Bridge • 1 Skudai Highway (until 1 March 2004) and Johor-Singapore Causeway • 2 Federal Highway

v • d • e Image:Flag of Perlis.svg Image:Flag of Kedah.png Image:Flag of Perak.svg Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER)
NCER Perlis	Kangar • Padang Besar • Perlis Seed Centre
NCER Kedah	Alor Star • Langkawi • Bukit Kayu Hitam • Universiti Utara Malaysia • Sultan Abdul Halim Airport • Menara Alor Star • Paddy Museum • Gurun • Sungai Petani Halal Hub • Kulim Hi-Tech Park
NCER Penang	Butterworth • Butterworth Outer Ring Road • George Town • Jelutong Expressway • KOMTAR • Penang Ferry Service • Penang Port • Penang Monorail • Penang Bridge • Penang Second Bridge • Penang Sentral • Penang International Airport • Penang Global City Centre • Penang Outer Ring Road • RapidPenang • Universiti Sains Malaysia
NCER Perak	Temenggor Lake • Universiti Teknologi Petronas

Coordinates: 5°21′14″N, 100°20′47″Ede:Penang Bridge ko:피낭 대교 id:Jembatan Penang ms:Jambatan Pulau Pinang sv:Penangbron