From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Penang Bridge
Road bridge connecting Penang Island with the Malay Peninsula
Road bridge connecting Penang Island with the Malay Peninsula
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| country | MYS |
| type | E |
| route | 36 |
| alternate_name | Penang Bridge |
| zsm-Latn-MY | |
| zh-MY | |
| பினாங்கு பாலம் | |
| length_km | 13.5 |
| direction_a | East |
| terminus_a | and Jalan Perusahan Perai at Perai, Seberang Perai |
| direction_b | West |
| terminus_b | Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and Gelugor Highway at Gelugor, Penang Island |
| formed | 1970s |
| history | Opened 3 August 1985, inaugurated 14 September 1985 |
| destinations | George Town, Bayan Lepas, Perai, Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam |
| map | {{Highway system OSM map |
| highway_system_qid | Q1521575 |
| frame-lat | 5.34 |
| frame-long | 100.36 |
| frame-width | 290 |
| frame-height | 300 |
| zoom | 10 |
| plain | yes |
| stroke-width | 3 |
| map_notes | Penang Bridge in red |
| map_custom | yes |
| photo | Penang Bridge Dec2024-1.jpg |
zsm-Latn-MY zh-MY பினாங்கு பாலம் |frame-lat=5.34 |frame-long=100.36 |frame-width=290 |frame-height=300 |stroke-width=3 Box girder bridge Government of Malaysia Malaysian Highway Authority
Secondary South Korea Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company (Korea) Ltd United Engineers Malaysia Berhad
The E36 Penang Bridge is a 13.5 km 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 8.4 km.
Penang Bridge was inaugurated on 14 September 1985. 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.
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 San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Speaking after his first cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the government had picked a contractor for the job, though he declined to specify who it was. |
| 1982 | Construction of Penang Bridge officially began. |
| 3 August 1985 | Official opening of Penang Bridge by Prime Minister Mahathir. |
| 14 September 1985 | Penang Bridge is officially opened to traffic. |
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 13.5 km: 8.4 km above water, 1.5 km on Penang Island, and 3.6 km in Prai. The 255 m main span is 33 m above water, held up by four 101.5 m towers. The carriageway has three lanes in each direction and a speed limit of 70–80 km/h.
The bridge has an emergency lay-by equipped with an SOS phone. Traffic CCTV and VMS are installed at various locations. The bridge carries a Tenaga Nasional 132kV power cable.
Tolls
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.
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.
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 |
Interchange list
The entire route is located in Penang.
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. 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 and suicides.
On 20 January 2019, two cars travelling mainland-bound collided, with one plunging into the Strait of Malacca. A search operation was launched for the submerged car, and the victim was later found dead.
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.
References
References
- "Penang Bridge".
- "Bridge details".
- "Bridge info".
- (20 November 1981). "Jambatan Pulau Pinang telan $530 juta". [[Berita Harian]].
- (24 July 1981). "What Penang Bridge will look like...".
- (1 August 1985). "Setelah 45 tahun kini jadi kenyataan". [[Berita Harian]].
- (16 September 1985). "Jambatan Pulau Pinang dirasmi". [[Berita Harian]].
- "bridge details". Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd.
- (3 November 2018). "Motorcyclists rejoice as they don't have to pay toll now".
- (1 January 2019). "No more bridge tolls for motorcyclists in Penang". Malay Mail.
- Basyir, Mohamed. (January 2019). "Toll charges gone at Penang bridges, but some motorcyclists still taking ferries".
- (14 May 2008). "The Penang Bridge". Stamps of Malaysia.
- (22 January 2019). "Penang Bridge SUV Accident – It was the 5th Time!".
- (20 January 2019). "Car plunges into sea after collision on Penang Bridge". [[The Star (Malaysia).
- (20 January 2019). "Missing SUV Driver that plunged into sea believed to be college student". [[The Star (Malaysia).
- [[Lat (cartoonist). (1987). "Lat and Gang". Berita Publishing.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Penang Bridge — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report