) ▁project ▁was ▁officially ▁scra pped ▁by ▁the ▁Sel ang or ▁State ▁Government ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁several ▁protest s ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁Pet aling ▁J aya ▁citizens . ▁ ▁Pen ang ▁and ▁Gre ater ▁Pen ang ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁high ways ▁in ▁Pen ang ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁when ▁the ▁Malays ian ▁federal ▁government ▁decided ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁Pen ang ▁Bridge , ▁connecting ▁Se ber ang ▁P era i ▁and ▁Pen ang ▁Island . ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Pen ang ▁Bridge , ▁between ▁P era i ▁on ▁the ▁main land ▁and ▁Gel ug or ▁on ▁Pen ang ▁Island , ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁and ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁This ▁bridge ▁was ▁officially ▁opened ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁by ▁then ▁Malays ian ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁Mah ath ir ▁Moh am ad . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁reasons ▁for ▁construct ing ▁new ▁express ways ▁in ▁Pen ang ▁are ▁the ▁increasing ▁populations ▁in ▁George ▁Town ▁and ▁But ter worth , ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁more ▁cross - stra it ▁link ages . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Pen ang ▁Bridge , ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁Pen ang ▁Stra it ▁between ▁Pen ang ▁Island ▁and ▁the ▁main land ▁was ▁via ▁fer ries . ▁In ▁addition , ▁major ▁industrial ▁est ates , ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁Bay an ▁Le pas ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁and ▁P era i ▁on ▁the ▁main land , ▁were ▁opened , ▁leading ▁to