More roads, great. More choices, now and future. New PIA, please.

Good news for Penangites. In less than 12 months, the Ayer Item – Lim Chong Eu Expressway will start construction. The builder, Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZC) senior executive director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli shared, “There is still land acquisition to be done by the Land Office on 10 plots of Federal and private lands. It will take about three to six months. Once we have done a considerable amount of work on this paired road, we will then start work on the 10.53km North Coastal Paired Road (NCPR) from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang. Otherwise, Penang island will become a major construction site.” (His last sentence is pretty serious. When we look at Penang as an island and the roads as a connector, we can see that the options in Penang currently is pretty limited. This is the reason why as soon as a jam starts, it will quickly become a major jam. All these roads are definitely necessary and must be built sooner rather than later.)  The full article in PenangPropertyTalk.com here. 
Further details of actual project:  The paired roads are part of the RM6.3bil mega project comprising a 7.2km undersea tunnel connecting Gurney Drive on the island to Bagan Ajam in Seberang Prai, and the 4.075km Gurney Drive — Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass. The road from Ayer Itam will be 5.7km long, starting from Jalan Kampung Pisang and connecting with the expressway in Gelugor.  This road will have three interchanges, allowing motorists to get on and off from Jalan Thean Tek, Jalan Yeap Chor Ee and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah. About 70% of the dual carriageway will be elevated and the link provides for a 70km/h speed limit. One may also refer to the article in TheStar for reference too. 
What are your thoughts when it comes to properties in Penang? Buying within the island? Since there are now more roads to alleviate the potential future traffic jams? There are still choices in secondary spots like Balik Pulau, Batu Maung and beyond, Teluk Bahang etc. Or is it the time for mainland properties to shine? Batu Kawan for example? Actually, it pays to look back at the fundamentals which are the number of jobs. When there are more jobs, there would be more migration into Penang. Nope, Penangites cannot rely on only Penangite babies for the demand yeah.
I believe it’s about time that the new Chief Minister thinks about the connection from the world into Penang. Yes, the Penang International Airport (PIA), a new one nonetheless in the future. Let’s not keep delaying this research, study and implementation. Here’s an earlier article. A better connected Penang brings more than just tourists. It ensures the competitiveness of industries operating in Penang to the world in a fast and efficient manner. It ensures medical tourism which is SUPER HUGE to continue to prosper and grow by leaps and bounds. It also ensures that the wealthy foreigners may want to think of Penang as their another stop because to these people, connectivity is key. If the airport is full to the brim, nothing else happens… In fact people may start giving bad reviews when congestion starts. Happy investing into Penang.
written on 6 July 2018
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