GEORGE TOWN (Sept 7): Package 1 of the Juru-Sungai Dua Toll Plaza Traffic Dispersal Project (PTJSD) has reached 40.79% completion, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

He said Package 1 of the PTJSD was expected to be completed in October 2027, while Packages 2 to 5 were at the evaluation and tendering stage.

“The tender process for Packages 2, 3, 4 and 5 is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with work scheduled to begin early next year.

“Land acquisition and utility relocation issues will be addressed simultaneously to ensure the project proceeds smoothly,” he said in a Facebook post after visiting the site near here on Monday.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had given close attention to the project, with regular monitoring and monthly meetings to ensure that any issues were addressed promptly.

Chow said the 17.3-kilometre project, covering South, Central and North Seberang Perai, adopted a concept that separates local traffic from expressway traffic, as implemented in Jelapang, Ipoh, Perak.

He said the state government would continue to assist with the land acquisition process, which had now entered Section 8 and was expected to be tabled by the Penang State Director of Lands and Mines on Sept 17.

The PTJSD, with an estimated cost of RM3 billion, is expected to ease congestion by diverting 30% of traffic to the new direct Juru-Sungai Dua route, reducing journey time during peak hours from one hour to just 20 minutes.

The project, which is expected to benefit 200,000 road users daily, is being implemented in collaboration with the Works Ministry and the Malaysian Highway Authority to ease congestion along the Juru-Sungai Dua corridor, a key route connecting Penang with states in the northern peninsula.

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