The proposed PIL 1 highway will be a new 20km toll-free highway to alleviate traffic congestion on the Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway (LCE) and adjacent arterial roads such as Pengkalan Weld, Jalan Masjid Negeri, Jalan Jelutong and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah.

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It will serve as the second north-south spine road with limited points of access to ensure certainty in speed and travel time, providing motorists with an alternative to the LCE.

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Upon completion, road users can bypass high-traffic locations in high-density areas such as Georgetown, Paya Terubong, Bayan Baru and Relau.

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PIL 1, which links Gurney Drive to Bayan Lepas, will have six interchanges connecting all major hubs and the first and second Penang bridge. The six interchanges are:

- LCE interchange

- Awang interchange

- Relau interchange

- Paya Terubong interchange

- Utama interchange

- Gurney interchange

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PIL 1, a dual-lane highway, will also feature eco-friendly designs such as an elevated highway with tunnel sections and a cable-stayed bridge to minimise social and environmental impact.

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PIL 1 would not only allow better traffic dispersal but also improve accessibility to various areas along the north-south corridor of Penang island. Upon completion, it will be able to significantly shorten north-south travel time to only 15 minutes from Gurney Drive to airport, favorably compared with the current 45 minutes required under normal traffic conditions on the LCE. 

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