Gaping holes are visible at the roof of the pedestrian bridge over the Butterworth Outer Ring Road highway near Jalan Baru in Prai. — Photo: ASRI ABDUL GHANI/The Star
THE pedestrian bridge spanning 60m across the six lanes Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) in Prai is in a deplorable condition.
The local community has voiced concern over the lack of maintenance of the overpass which connects Prima Prai and Taman Inderawasih in Prai, Penang.
A check by The Star showed some of the fibreglass roof panes have long flown off, leaving users to bear the heat of the sun or get drenched by the rain at times.
The fluorescent light bulbs also have gone missing while a glass panel on its side is also broken.
Housewife Lim Get Siang, 69, from Prima Prai, said she would often use the bridge to run errands at the opposite end.
“The is the safest way for us to get to the other side.
“But since it was built almost 10 years ago, I have hardly seen any maintenance work being carried out.
“It was beautiful at first, and really convenient for us as we do not have jaywalk across the fenced-up highway.
“But it has suffered at the hands of vandals. Some of the plastic roof panels are now missing.
“Whenever it rains, the roof serves no purpose. I still need to carry an umbrella.
“Scavengers also have a field day ripping off the steel grill to steal the light bulbs.
“And at night, it becomes a long and dark walk across,” she said when met using the overpass recently.
Another woman, who wished to be known only as Shanti, said she was worried for her children’s safety as they used the bridge daily to go to SK St Mark in Prima Prai.
“Some of the fibreglass panels on the side of the overpass are broken. I cautioned my children not to go near for fear they could fall over onto the highway.
“The falling fibreglass shards may also cause danger to motorists beneath.
“In the morning at times, there are also drunkards and the homeless taking shelter on the bridge,” she said, adding that she would usually accompany her children to school.
When contacted, Lingkaran Luar Butterworth (Penang) Sdn Bhd general manager (operations) Adnan Ariffin said the overpass was not under the care of the BORR management.
“Although it was constructed across the BORR, the maintenance is not under us.
“We have another overpass down the road, and it is also not spared from vandals.
“Every two to three months, we would receive reports of metal components being vandalised or stolen, and contractors have to be called in to repair them,” he said.
When contacted, state Works Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said he had conveyed the complaint to the Public Works Department and they would inspect the extent of the damage before applying for an allocation to do the necessary repairs.
