Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (Octopus Footbridge)

Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge, also called the Komtar Pedestrian Bridge and nicknamed the Octopus Footbridge, is a four-way pedestrian bridge crossing over Penang Road. Built in 1993, it comprises four arms, with access stairs at Penang Road, Burmah Road, Prangin Road and Komtar Walk.

Updates

24 November, 2017: After a long wait, the Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge finally opened to the public. At the time of my visit, two of the elevators were already working, though the escalator at Prangin Road was not functioning, and there were puddles of water on the floor. The floor itself was dusty. Nevertheless, the bridge looked good at night, when it was illuminated with coloured lights.

Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)

Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge (24 November 2017)


6 February, 2016: The Star Metro reports that a RM6 million upgrading project on the Komtar Pedestrian Bridge has started and will be completed within a year. The bridge will be fitted with escalators and lifts. This will be carried out by Syarikat Ensignia Construction Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of IGB Corporation), which will be given a 25-year contract to lease out advertising space on the bridge. The state reserves 20% of the advertising space for government notices.

1 November, 2014: Over a year after the last report, a new update from The Star reports that Penang Island Municipal Council engineering department deputy director A. Rejendran saying that work to renovate and upgrade the Komtar overhead pedestrian bridge is expected to start by year-end or early 2015.

According to the MPPP Infrastructure and Transport Committee alternate chairman Muhammad Sabri Md Osman, the work will be carried out by IGB Corporation Berhad at a cost of RM6.1 million, over 9 months.

The renovation will involve installation of glass panels to provide improved visibility of the users as well as escalators and lifts at each entrance to the bridge.

12 September, 2013: A decision was made to retain the pedestrian bridge and install escalators on it.

8 December 2012: How fast time has flown. It is now one and a half years since the idea of setting up stalls on the pedestrian crossing was announced, and nothing has materialised.

Recently the Octopus Footbridge came in the local news when a feng shui master suggested that the four-way cross of the pedestrian bridge is inauspicious in geomancy. To ward off any resulting poor business caused by this, the feng shui master suggested that stalls should be set up within the pedestrian bridge. At time of writing (May 2010), I understand that the municipal council is getting tenders for people to set up stalls. Let's see whether business improves at Komtar when the advise has been implemented.

The Octopus Footbridge (1 September 2008)


Komtar Pedestrian Crossing (1 September 2008)


The Penang Road Pedestrian Bridge, as seen from Prangin Road (20 May 2012)

List of Pedestrian Bridges in Penang and Pedestrian Bridges in Malaysia