Why feed the ‘road monster', Penang resident asks, as underpass project begins

Free Malaysia Today

06-06-2025

Charles Lawrence Byrne and wife Bernadine Wong had 186 sq m of their land acquired for development and will see a road run just two metres from their porch.
GEORGE TOWN : Charles Lawrence Byrne has lived in his Mount Erskine Road home for nearly 74 years. At 89, he's the last of his family left in the area – and he's not going anywhere.
His house, built by his late father in 1950, now sits in the path of a Penang state road-widening and underpass project. The government has acquired 186 sq m (2,000 sq ft) of his land for the development, with a road set to run just two metres from his porch.
However, his house and part of his land remains untouched.
Although the court increased the compensation offered for the acquired portion, Byrne insists that private valuers have valued his property even higher.
Byrne said he has not touched a single sen of the compensation money.
'I want peace and tranquillity. I can still live on my pension and I want to continue staying here with my wife Bernardine Wong. I'm not interested in your money. You can take it back,' the former postal and broadcast department staff said.
'They're cutting my land diagonally. My garden will be gone.'
Charles Lawrence Byrne says road-widening efforts has failed to ease traffic in the area.
Long fight against the 'Road Monster'
Byrne said years of road-widening efforts had failed to ease traffic in the area. He believes poor traffic light timing and bottlenecks elsewhere are the real causes of congestion – not Mount Erskine Road.
'It was two lanes, then four, now six. But there are still traffic jams… So what's the point?' he asked. 'You're just feeding the road monster.'
He added: 'They're building flyovers and underpasses all over, but the real traffic issues are somewhere else.'
Beyond the practical concerns, Byrne said his home and land held deep spiritual value. He said the grounds had hosted religious services led by priests and even a bishop.
'This is my father's land, and it's blessed land. I'm just its guardian,' he said. 'I've told the council: I don't want compensation. I want my land.'
Lack of transparency
Despite his land already being acquired and compensation paid, Byrne said he had not received any formal plans or construction timelines from the authorities.
'Nobody has come to explain what happens next,' he said, adding that there were rumours the road would link Mount Erskine to Gottlieb Road, cutting through school lands and the St Nicholas Home for the Blind.
He worries about noise and sound barriers erected ahead of the construction, and access to his house once the project kicks off.
Charles Lawrence Byrne is resigned to losing the garden of the home he has lived in for 74 years to road-widening.
State says project is essential
Penang infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari defended the project, saying it was crucial to reduce congestion in the area.
Zairil said compensation followed federal property valuations, and affected landowners were free to seek higher payouts in court.
'The road is currently a bottleneck. Once completed, traffic will be much smoother,' he said. 'If there was a better way, we would have done it. Do you think we like cutting people's land?'
The Mount Erskine underpass is part of Penang's broader effort to tackle island-wide traffic.
The state is seeking RM3.75 million from Putrajaya to start the RM25 million project next year. It is one of 128 infrastructure proposals under the 13th Malaysia Plan, with RM2.1 billion requested for 2026.