KUALA TERENGGANU: Nearly half a million vehicles are expected to ply the second East West Expressway to head for Terengganu this festive season.
Traffic congestion at exit points along the expressway is expected to be massive.
For those passing through Kuala Terengganu or heading towards Kelantan, however, a visit to the iconic drawbridge across Sungai Terengganu will soothe their tired mind and body.
Built at a cost of RM248 million, the drawbridge took five years to be completed. It undergoing final touches and is expected to divert traffic on Sultan Mahmud Bridge when it is temporarily opened to the public on June 2.
Menteri Besar Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said not only residents but also the local authority and police expected issues to arise when motorists start using the bridge.
Samsuri, who inspected the facility on Tuesday, said the public would be allowed to travel on the drawbridge until June 17 to allow the authorities to identify problems, especially those related to safety.
“But please don’t stop anywhere along the span of the drawbridge. You will only create congestion.”
The drawbridge is expected to cut travelling time between the city in the south and Sultan Mahmud Airport in Seberang Takir as well as Universiti Malaysia Terengganu on a four-lane coastal road at the northbank by about 15 minutes.
“The drawbridge is unlike the Sultan Mahmud Bridge. It is an outstanding structure unlike any other in the state,” said Anuar Hitam 58, a former field manager with a plantation company in Kemaman.
He said by day, the four 15-storey high towers and sky bridges were awesome sights for selfies, and by night the structure’s lightings were breathtaking.”
However, he said, everyone was eager to be among the first to cross it and this might create problems for the police.
Terengganu police chief Datuk Aidi Ismail warned motorists not to stop along the 638m span of the bridge to take selfies or slow down their vehicles to capture videos. He said traffic policemen would be stationed at strategic points to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.