The Penang Bridge

The Penang bridge is the only connection between mainland Malaysia and Penang Island. The bridge features elevated structures called "Cable Stayed Concrete Girders". It is a famous landmark in Malaysia. The Penang bridge has been significant to Penang Island, allowing it to develop both as a tourist and industrial area.

Malaysian government built the three lane, 13.5 kilometer bridge in the 1980s. 8.4 kilometers of the bridge actually cover water, and the Penang Bridge was officially opened on September 14, 1985.

The Penang bridge is the fifth longest in the world, and the longest in Asia. Construction took five years to complete. Ferries were the only way to cross the Penang Straits before this bridge was built.

In 1986, the Penang bridge received the Grand Award as part of the United States of America Engineering Excellence Competition. The competition is sponsored by the Council of Consulting Engineers. In 1993 the International Real Estate Federation of Malaysia awarded the Penang bridge with the FIABCI Special Award.

Plans for a second Penang bridge are currently underway. Marine test piling will be finished by the end of September. Testing the land soil, as well as marine soil investigation and land test piling, has already been done. The Department of Environment approved an environment impact assessment in August, 2007.

The deadline for completing the second Penang bridge is December, 2010. Construction time for this new bridge will be reduced due to the use of prefabricated box beams.

The new Penang bridge will have dual 2 lane carriage ways, and one motorcycle lane for each side. The bridge may be widened some day, but building a wider bridge at this time would not be cost effective.

The new Penang bridge is being constructed with safety in mind. An 'S' curve will be incorporated somewhere in the middle, in the hopes of avoiding monotony and tired drivers. Since part of the new bridge will be near the airport, the height of that part will be lowered to ensure planes have proper clearance.

In 1988 the Penang bridge was the site of tragedy. Two large religious celebrations were held one day apart in July. This meant a huge influx of visitors wanting to cross the Penang Straits, and many chose to bypass the bridge and use the ferry services. The jetty terminal couldn't handle the stress placed on it and it collapsed. 32 people died and 1,000 were injured.

Sources:
http://www.penangbridge.com.my/bridgeoverview.php
http://thestar.com.my/metro
http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/
http://www.mir.com.my/rb