A total of 202.3 hectares of land has been reclaimed at Silicon Island since reclamation works started in September 2023, Malay Mail reported.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the project was planned to complement the state’s semiconductor industry while pulling in investment in advanced technology, research and development, and artificial intelligence.
“The early launch of the Silicon Island Experience Centre offers visitors a closer look at our vision for a new growth hub that will complement Penang’s semiconductor industry and attract investments in advanced technology, research and development, and AI-driven innovation,” he said in a Facebook post on 17 Oct. Chow added that the island was expected to create quality jobs, develop local talent and benefit surrounding communities, with sustainability staying a priority.
In a separate statement, Silicon Island Development Sdn Bhd said the Silicon Island Experience Centre is now open to government agencies, investors, local communities and strategic partners. The 2,500-square-foot facility holds an interactive LED scale model of the 931-hectare development, including a 283-hectare Green Tech Park, commercial precincts, transit corridors and more than 110 kilometres of cycling and pedestrian paths. The centre cost RM2.5 million and took four months to build, and the island is laid out as a smart city with a five-diamond Low Carbon City accreditation.
Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd chief executive officer and Silicon Island Development chairman Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said physical progress on the RM420 million Pan Island Link 2A contract was moving smoothly. “We are targeting the opening of the first section of the marine bridge connecting Jalan Permatang Damar Laut directly to Silicon Island by December 2028, leading towards full completion by June 2029,” he said.
The reclamation figure has climbed in stages, Oriental Daily noted, from 23 acres in June 2024 to 76 acres that December, 170 acres by June 2025 and 273 acres by the end of that year. Another 390 acres were ready by June this year, and the count reached 500 acres in October, the same area the state update gives as 202.3 hectares. The first section of the marine bridge runs about 1.2 kilometres and is due to open in December 2028. The 5.3-kilometre PIL 2A alignment, according to NST, was 29.85 per cent complete in early September and running 0.42 percentage points ahead of schedule.
The route is the main link between Penang Island and Silicon Island at Bayan Lepas, and it will join the island to the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, also known as the Second Penang Bridge. Its superstructure needs 260 T-beams, 25 of which had been cast by 31 Aug. The whole scheme sits inside the Penang Transport Master Plan.
State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the alignment passes through residential areas, so the state has kept communication open with affected communities over temporary road diversions and closures. Safety standards, operational controls and environmental management stay in place during construction, he said. The state also plans a smart traffic management system, dedicated walking and cycling paths and digital infrastructure for the island, and Zairil said the bridge between Permatang Damar Laut and Silicon Island would become a main artery for logistics and would tie the new island into the existing road network.
