The Penang DAP wants the present Penang Outer Ring Road (Porr) proposed route, which connects the Penang Bridge and Gurney Drive, to be realigned between Batu Maung in the southeast of the island and Tanjung Bungah in the north.

Compared with the present Porr alignment, which will be a 17.6km largely elevated highway covering a smaller area, the DAP-proposed realignment would cover a larger area with a shorter 14.5km expressway.

"The proposed realignment would cut down lesser trees, demolish less houses and cause less destruction to the environment.

"It would also reduce travelling time," said Penang DAP organising chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang.

The realignment will start from Batu Maung, which is the last-stop town of the Bayan Lepas Cyber City, and go through either under-developed or undeveloped areas in Bayan Lepas, Bayan Baru, hilly areas of Paya Terubong, Air Itam and reach the Mount Erskine area in Tanjung Bungah.

The present alignment, largely elevated highway, will be built between Jalan Tunku Kudin in the southeast and Bagan Jermal in the northeast, cutting through residential and commercial areas as well as hilly terrains in Gelugor, Taman Delima, Bandar Baru Air Itam, Air Itam old town, Reservoir Garden and Taman Jesselton.

Less compensation

The Penang government is being rapped for its 'overzealousness' to spend RM1.02 billion to build Porr when it could use the money to construct several inner ring roads that could have reduced traffic congestion in the city.

If implemented, Law said the DAP proposal would reduce the cost as the government would pay lesser compensation to property owners due to less land acquisition.

"Unlike the present Porr alignment, our proposed highway will divert the heavy traffic from cyber city to the northern parts of the island without going through the city.

"The state government should rethink and realign the route," he told malaysiakini .

According to various road surveys conducted by various government agencies over the years, Bayan Lepas coastal expressway, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Jalan Masjid Negeri were the most congested roads during peak hours.

The government has argued that the project, until the on-going 4.7km Jelutong Expressway becomes fully operational as scheduled in 2008, would reduce traffic congestion along Jalan Masjid Negeri and the Bayan Lepas Cyber City.

However, Porr would be the costliest highway to be built on Penang island and has been submerged in controversy since more than 50 houses, various squatter colonies and greenery would be destroyed.

More effective

Motorists using the highway will have to pay toll for the next 30 years. The state government has claimed that Porr was planned in accordance with the Penang Draft Structural Plan (2000) to ease traffic congestion in George Town.

Penang DAP, however, wants the government to reconsider and realign the highway to achieve the objective.

Apart from the proposed realignment, the party believes that the Jelutong Expressway and Bayan Baru flyover would reduce the congestion and smoothen traffic flow in the city and suburban areas.

Law said that since the proposed second link would connect Batu Kawan and Batu Maung, it would only be ideal to implement DAP's proposal.

He said the proposal would not spark as much controversy as the present route, would cost less and could be completed faster.

"It would be a more effective highway as it would be located in the centre of the island," he said.

ATHI VEERANGGAN is malaysiakini 's Penang-based stringer.