The Works Ministry has offered to help Penang, which appears to be struggling to submit the paper works needed for the Third Penang Bridge project.

On Aug 6 last year, the Penang government revealed that the studies were 83 percent complete and that it would be delivered to the Works Ministry by early 2017.

"Today marks the end of the first quarter of 2017. Our ministry wishes to update the public that we have yet to receive the studies. Therefore, the fault for any delay does not lie with our ministry.

"Our ministry also wishes to express certain concerns about this project and offer our assistance to the Penang state government, should they need it," Works Minister Fadillah Yusof said today.

In the mid-2016, the Penang government announced that it would construct a toll-free bridge that would provide a third link between Penang island and the mainland.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said this option was favoured over a tunnel project because it would cost half the price.

Fadillah said the Penang government had written to the ministry in May last year, requesting Putrajaya's approval for the third bridge "without providing a single piece of supporting document".

"Unable to proceed without supporting documents, our ministry has asked five times, over the following months, for the feasibility and detailed design studies," he said.

On the RM305 million bill incurred by the Penang government for the feasibility and design studies for three main road projects and the undersea tunnel, Fadillah said this was excessive and again offered his ministry's help.

"We have the expertise to complete the studies on time and at a lower cost. We again extend our willingness to explore with the Penang government, should they require help," he said.

Fadillah also expressed concern that the RM135 million piece of state land that had been given to Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) - the company appointed to undertake the tunnel project - in lieu of cash, had been pre-sold for RM2.83 billion.

"Despite this payment and pre-selling of state land, we note that the construction of the first phase of this project was initially expected to start in early 2015.

"Since 2015, the Penang government had then revised the timeline several times, citing various reasons... the first phase of the project is only expected to start construction in the middle of 2018, at its earliest.

"Our ministry continues to express our concern on the multiple delays, the cost of the studies and the cost of this project," Fadillah added.