Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd has awarded the RM2.69 billion Civil Main Contract 2 (CMC2) package to a joint venture of China Communications Construction Company, TRC Construction Sdn Bhd and Ufuk Semarak Sdn Bhd.
The package covers the design and construction of a 5.5km extension of the Penang Mutiara Line, running from Macallum Street on the island to Penang Sentral in Butterworth, including a 3.05km sea-crossing bridge, Free Malaysia Today reported.
MRT Corp said the bridge would carry navigational spans so vessels can reach the ports of Prai and Butterworth.
The extension joins the island to the mainland by rail, and NST noted that it connects to Penang Sentral, the state’s main transport hub, where passengers can transfer to KTM services, ferries and buses. A trip between Komtar and Penang Sentral is expected to take about eight minutes.
In a statement, MRT Corp said the crossing would serve commuters on both sides of the strait. “The extension will provide a direct rail connection between Penang island and Seberang Perai, bringing the benefits of the Mutiara Line to communities on both sides of the strait,” it said.
MRT Corp chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim said the award advanced Penang’s plan for an unbroken rail link between the island and the mainland.
“This extension reflects the vision of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who recognised that an investment of this magnitude must benefit communities on both sides of the strait,” he said.
Zarif said the aim was for the project to drive more inclusive economic development and open fresh opportunities for the public. “With CMC2 now awarded, we are taking an important step towards fulfilling that aspiration,” he added. “Our responsibility is to deliver not just the infrastructure, but the lasting benefits it promises.”
Construction of the Mutiara Line has reached 16% completion and remains on schedule. The line will have 22 stations, and the operator has said the project is on track to begin operations in 2031.
Traffic management plans are being run with the relevant authorities to keep road traffic moving during construction.
In August, MRT Corp awarded the RM3.03 billion system turnkey contract for the line to a joint venture of Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd and Theta Edge Bhd. That award allowed railway systems design work to proceed alongside civil construction, a further step in the build of Penang’s first metro rail system.
With CMC2 in place, the civil work on the island section and the sea crossing now sits alongside the systems contract that will equip and run the trains once the line opens.
