The Second Penang Bridge is to be officially opened by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak next month, said Penang Federal Action Council chairperson Zainal Abidin Osman.   

The date had yet to be fixed, but discussions on that were going on, he said.

Zainal Abidin said the second bridge was expected to reduce congestion on the existing Penang Bridge by 25 percent.

“Right now, the toll system and the physical safety features of the bridge were being tested by the Malaysian Highway Authority,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the council in George Town.

The 24-km bridge - 17km over the sea and seven kilometres over land - was designed with environmental sustainability in mind and links Batu Kawan on the mainland to Batu Maung on the island.

The RM4.5-billion bridge, a federal government project, is the longest in South-East Asia and is expected to be able to handle 100,000 vehicles daily.

- Bernama