The preliminary Environmental Impact Assesment on PORR carried out in 1996, states that: "The proposed PORR would particularly disperse the heavy traffic from Jalan Air Hitam, Jalan Tanjung Tokong and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and alleviate the congestion in the town area."

    PORR will be a two-lane dual carriageway expressway, designed for traffic speeds up to 80 kilometres an hour. Twelve kilometres of the expressway will be elevated, mostly along Penang's hilly terrain. This includes six kilometres of double-decked road.

    Safety features include a three-metre hard shoulder on both sides of the road, street lighting throughout the expressway and overhead pedestrian crossings. A large portion of PORR will rest upon hill slopes, so a setback distance of 20 metres between road and building has been maintained for most residential areas, and noise barriers and landscaping will also be included to minimise pollution.

Safe, fast and convenient. Best of all, you choose!

    Realigning of the expressway has spared many houses from being acquired for the project, from 76 houses in 2000 to 46 presently. No graves will be affected. Additionally, a stretch of PORR will be built on reclaimed land off the shore of Persiaran Gurney. A new Gurney Drive is being planned that will include a ten acre public park and two-kilometre promenade that will be beside the road, on the seafront.

    As a tolled road, PORR will only act as an alternative to existing routes on local roads. However, toll rates have been kept to a bare minimum of RM1 per booth.

PORR frees local roads of traffic jams for a better environment.

    It is a project that is needed to alleviate the traffic woes on the Island and will complement the Jelutong Expressway (currently under construction) to form a near ring around George Town, efficiently channeling traffic to and from its urban centres.