GEORGETOWN - The first Penang bridge linking Seberang Perai on the mainland to Georgetown on the island will see some lane closures beginning next Tuesday (Aug 22), reported the Malay Mail Online news site.

The closures - affecting the slow and emergency lanes in both directions - will be implemented for a year to facilitate maintenance works on the bridge's stay cables.

Operator Plus Malaysia Berhad said the lanes will be closed for six months on one side and another six months on the other side from Aug 22.

At a media briefing, Plus chief operations officer Mohammad Fuad Khusairi reportedly said: "The stay cables are the bridge's most important components and safety checks need to be conducted on them every four years."

To manage heavy traffic during peak hours, he said a tidal flow lane will be activated between 4pm and 8pm on the mainland-bound side during the first six months.

The tidal flow lane on the island-bound side will be activated from 6am to 10am from February until August 2018 when maintenance works start on that side of the bridge.

The middle lanes of the bridge will also be closed at night to install scaffolding and passenger lifts and allow for inspection works.

Mr Mohammad Fuad advised motorists to use the second bridge from Batu Kawan to Batu Maung, or the ferry service during this period.

Motorists can get the latest traffic updates on the bridge through the Plus Mobile app, its Twitter account @plustrafik or traffic apps such as Waze and Google Maps.

More than 80,000 vehicles use the bridge daily and it is often congested during rush hour in the mornings and evenings.