GEORGE TOWN, June 26 — The Public Works Department (PWD) has been ordered to carry out a safety study on the whole 15km length of Jalan Batu Ferringhi following the collapse of an illegal retaining wall at a resort that killed four foreign workers last night.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said PWD will need to study the slopes above the road and the slopes that fringe all the way up to Teluk Bahang.
“PWD needs to check on the integrity of the road and the slopes to ensure the safety of the stretch of road for users,” he told a news conference at his office here today.
He said if any safety issues were found along the road, repair works must immediately be conducted to prevent any mishaps.
The 15km road is one of the main roads from George Town to the famed beach tourist belt in Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang.
The under-construction retaining wall collapsed last night within the Lost Paradise Hotel grounds along Jalan Batu Ferringhi.
The incident affected a portion of the road. One 50m-lane was closed to traffic to allow for repair works.
Chow had said repair works on the road will take between three to four weeks.
Currently, only one-way traffic is allowed along the 50m stretch.
Road users looking to travel to the island’s north have been advised to use the alternative road through Bayan Lepas in the south during peak hours.
