Nation

Penang Bridge cable fire due to electrical arc

GEORGE TOWN: The electrical cables fire below the Penang Bridge last month was due to an electrical arc, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) said today.

The utility company said this was based on a report submitted by the state Fire and Rescue Department on Friday.

TNB grid chief officer Datuk Husaini Husin said the electrical arc struck a wooden panel, resulting in stationary heating, and subsequently the fire.

"Based on information by the Fire and Rescue Department, the fire was not incendiary.

"Further probes are being conducted to determine what caused the electrical arc," he said today.

The Feb 22 fire, which broke out at KM3.2 just before the evening peak hour, resulted in massive traffic jams spanning several kilometres on both sides of the bridge.

Black smoke was seen billowing from the underside of the bridge where the cables were located.

TNB had said that the fire involved 132kV cables from the Bukit Tengah to Bayan Mutiara transmission main intake.

Following the fire, Plus Malaysia Berhad (Plus) assured the public that the Penang Bridge is structurally sound and safe for use.

Last Wednesday, TNB chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid had said that repair works on nine electrical cables below the Penang Bridge, which caught fire on Feb 22, would begin the following day.

He said the repair works were expected to take 119 days (about four months) to complete.

However, Husaini said repairs

would be shortened by a week following the completion of work to remove the cables' supporting structure and faulty cables in four days, ending today.

"Based on the current schedule, the repair works by TNB and Plus will take about 112 days as we were able to complete works to remove the cables' supporting structure and faulty cables a week ahead of schedule.

"By completing the initial works earlier, this will enable Plus to expedite checks on the condition of the structure and repair to the bridge which is expected to take two months beginning tomorrow," he added.

Elaborating, Husaini said the repair works would involve replacing three cable circuits with new cables measuring about 100m.

"Besides that, TNB will also carry out cable laying, cable joining and replacement of the burnt wooden platform with new ones.

"The repair works will not affect the traffic flow on the bridge.

"The access to the work site will be by sea using a barge from the beginning until it ends on June 23," he added.

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