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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Bridge has been reopened to vehicles heading to the mainland after a fire stopped traffic.
Since 6pm on Monday (February 22), there was a massive traffic congestion on the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway heading to the Penang Bridge.
The bridge was reopened around 9:30 p.m. Monday for traffic heading to the mainland.
Instead, all road users who need to reach the mainland were directed towards the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge.
According to an official from the Penang Fire and Rescue Department, there is currently only one lane open for users on the Penang Bridge.
According to a Twitter post from the Malaysian Highway Authority at 5.05pm on Monday, the right lane of the bridge was blocked due to the TNB power cables under the bridge catching fire.
Meanwhile, TNB confirmed that there was a fire at KM3.2 of the Penang Bridge involving a 132kV cable from the Main Entrance Substation (PMU) in Bukit Tengah to Bayan Mutiara.
“The fire was detected around 4pm and the cause is still under investigation,” said TNB network director Datuk Husaini Husin.
Husaini added that TNB is working closely with the police, Fire and Rescue Department and PLUS Malaysia Bhd to control the fire and allow the flow of traffic on the bridge to return smoothly.
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this incident.
“TNB’s electricity supply to all consumers in Penang is still stable and the repair process for the damaged cable will take place immediately.
“The public is advised to call TNB Careline at 15454 for updates,” he said.
In September 2010, a similar incident occurred in which three power lines caught fire on the bridge, causing a brief power outage on the island, especially in the Bayan Lepas area.
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