GEORGE TOWN, Penang: Repair work on a burst sewer pipe belonging to Indah Water Konsortium (IWK), which resulted in a sinkhole on Jalan Burma near the Jalan Transfer intersection, is expected to take five days to complete.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said IWK, in collaboration with MBPP, had agreed to carry out the repair work at night to minimise traffic disruption during the day.
“The work is expected to be completed within five days. However, we have asked IWK to shorten the period if possible. During the repair works, two lanes will remain open during the day, while only one lane will be open at night to allow the repairs to proceed in stages.
“If the work were to be carried out during the day, only one lane could be opened, which would lead to severe congestion, especially from Jalan Penang to Jalan Macalister,” he told reporters after inspecting the area today.
Yesterday, MBPP said the sinkhole that appeared on Jalan Burma near the Jalan Transfer intersection was caused by a leak in a 300-millimetre sewer pipe owned by IWK.
Rajendran said the broken pipe, measuring 21 inches in diameter and 13 metres in length, was found to be leaking. An initial inspection revealed the damage was severe enough for IWK to decide to replace the entire pipe.
He said it took about two days just to carry out detection work before the decision was made to replace the entire pipe, and the repair process is now underway.
“The project cost has not yet been finalised, as it will depend on the repair method required,” he added.
He said that although the actual road closure covers only about 20 metres, the resulting congestion could stretch up to 200 metres. – BERNAMA
