GEORGE TOWN: Mitigation measures to prevent another bout of flooding in Jalan Bukit Kukus is expected to be completed within a month, says Penang Island City Council mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang.
The road, which is the highest elevated highway in the country, gives motorists a stellar view of green forest in the area from 61.5m above ground. It supersedes the Rawang Bypass in Selangor, which is 58.2m high.
Yew said rectification work being carried out at the scenic route included enhancing the water flow outlet at the lowest part of the paired road and widening the pipe underneath from its original 10cm to 15cm, so that water could flow out smoothly and quickly along the highway.
“In terms of design, we have to install bigger pipes and at the same time, the grating will also be enlarged.”
He said the structure was designed by Penang Island City Council (MBPP) engineers and experts from the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) had also come up with a contingency plan by creating 10 additional water outlets along both sides of the paired road.
“There is nothing wrong with the original design, but it may not be able to drain water properly if there is too much rubbish clogging it like what happened on Feb 5,” he said.
On Feb 5, part of the Bukit Kukus paired road was flooded following a downpour because the water flow had been blocked by rubbish and dried leaves.
A 10-second video showing a pool of water at the site went viral on social media, with some expressing disappointment over the poor drainage system along the newly launched road.
“MBPP has done its best by appointing independent inspectors, engineering experts and consultants to mitigate the problem and at the same time, sought advice from IEM,” said Yew.
“We welcome any suggestions from the public on solving the problem at Jalan Bukit Kukus. I am willing to listen to them to mitigate the problem.
“Instead of making these issues go viral on social media, why not just share your idea with us?” he added.
Yew, who was accompanied by several MBPP councillors and representatives from IEM, visited Jalan Bukit Kukus to see the progress of the mitigation work last Friday.
MBPP secretary A. Rajendran said work actually started there on Feb 8.
He said a regular cleaning schedule was part of plans to prevent water ponding at the site, with the frequency of road cleaning to be increased too.
“MBPP will not hesitate to issue compounds to irresponsible individuals who litter along the road,” he added.
To deter motorists from throwing rubbish along the road, Rajendran said MBPP would deploy more enforcement officers to the site and conduct frequent patrols.
“The city council will conduct scheduled patrols and monitor the area using closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras linked to MBPP’s Intelligent Operation Centre,” he elaborated.
The Bukit Kukus paired road linking Ayer Itam and Bayan Lepas opened to the public on Jan 13.
The 3.8km stretch of road, which also has a bicycle lane, winds around Bukit Kukus from Lebuh Bukit Jambul on the Bayan Lepas side to Paya Terubong in Ayer Itam, with a branch to Jalan Tun Sardon heading to Balik Pulau.
The elevated road, expected to serve about 60,000 motorists a day, links the most densely populated neighbourhoods on the island and is expected to alleviate traffic congestion along the old roads by 30%.
Construction on the Bukit Kukus paired road started in January 2016 but work on the project was delayed by the implementation of the movement control order in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as various other incidents.
MBPP, in a statement released on Feb 7, said the flash floods should not have happened.
“MBPP has taken immediate action by instructing its project engineering consultant and contractors to inspect the site to solve the problem.
“Based on initial investigation, the water ponding was caused by a lot of rubbish and dry leaves preventing water flow to the existing drainage along the paired road.
“Cleaning works were conducted immediately and water receded in a short time,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, MBPP councillor John Ooh Sin Hwa advised motorists to be responsible in keeping the environment clean and not pollute it.
He applauded MBPP for taking immediate action following the incident.
Penang infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the drains had clogged up with dried leaves and a lot of rubbish because there had been no heavy rain in the past few weeks.
“That said, we are taking steps to address the problem, which is to conduct some minor upgrades with engineering features to address the rubbish being clogged up in the drains, as well as increase the cleaning frequency along the road and take action against litterbugs by issuing compounds,” he added.
