BUTTERWORTH: It has been a long journey but finally, the first phase of Penang Sentral in Bagan Dalam here is expected to open its doors in October.

Although launched 11 years ago, the project featuring an integrated transportation hub took a while to get moving mainly because of difficulties with land acquisition.

The RM2.7bil development is modelled after Kuala Lumpur Sen­tral and is built on 12.8ha of land.

The centrepiece of the first phase is the transport terminal, which stands 10 storeys high and overlooks George Town on the island.

Set to be equipped with shops, ticketing counters and food outlets to accommodate the needs of travellers, the hub will link bus and taxi services to the Butterworth KTM train station and Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal.

Bagan Dalam assemblyman M. Satees said work on the first phase of the project was in its final lap and awaiting the Certificate of Comple­tion and Compliance (CCC).

“We were informed that the building will start operating in October but there has been nothing official yet.

“The state is looking forward to its opening to ease traffic congestion in areas surrounding the terminal. Buses, taxis and ride-hailing services will have their designated areas in the terminal,” he said.

Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) group managing director Mohd Imran Salim yesterday paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at the state assembly to brief him on the current status of the project.

The company is the developer of Penang Sentral.

The delegation also showed a vi­­deo clip of the project, which is now 90% complete, and the facilities available within the complex.

The company also requested for a few months more to complete the remaining works prior to its launch.

It was reported in May that the hub will be able to accommodate about 200,000 passengers daily when completed and will have 900 parking lots.

The facilities include an information centre, connectivity to the ferry terminal and train station, and self-service ticketing kiosks.

The integrated transportation hub is part of the Penang Sentral project, which will also have commercial and residential components such as a shopping complex, three 36-storey office blocks and a 35-storey hotel.

Penang Sentral was among seve­ral Northern Corridor Economic Region projects unveiled in August 2007 by then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The project however suffered repeated delays due to land acquisition issues.

A temporary terminal was then erected beside the site and is currently used for buses, while taxis were relocated to a parking area belonging to KTM, beside the train station.