Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah: This is the part of the round-island trunk road that goes from the Gelugor roundabout to the Airport Flyover. As it carries traffic between George Town and most of the residential and industrial areas to the south, it is the busiest road in Penang. Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah is four lanes on most parts, swelling to six on some. Between Bayan Baru and Sungai Nibong is an additional elevated portion, providing another 4 lanes to the four below.
Bayan Lepas Expressway: This is the four-lane motorway from Batu Maung to the Tunku Kudin Interchange, from where it becomes the Jelutong Expressway. The sections in Gelugor and Sungai Nibong are often also called the Gelugor and Sungai Nibong Expressways respectively. The Bayan Lepas Expressway connects to the Penang Bridge at Gelugor.
Jelutong Expressway: This new six-lane expressway begins at the Tunku Kudin Interchange and ends at Weld Quay. As it approaches Jelutong, the expressway functions more like a main road with partial access of control, with at-grade intersections at Macallum Street Ghaut and driveway at Noordin Street Ghaut.
Many people living in Penang are not aware that the island has two existing ring roads. These are:
Jalan Perak: This is the inner ring road, and is one of the longest roads going across George Town. It is 2 lane for much of the way, and is very heavily congested in parts.
Jalan Masjid Negeri / Jalan Scotland: Many people may be unaware, but this is the Penang middle ring road. It forms the artery that once defined the limits of George Town, allowing traffic from the north and south of the island to bypass the city centre.
Jalan Jelutong: Until the Jelutong Expressway was completed, Jalan Jelutong was the main road on the eastern shore of George Town. It used to be highly congested, and still is, around the Jelutong market, but has seen much of its traffic moving to the new Jelutong Expressway.
Jalan Kelawei: This is the main road on the northern part of George Town. It is named after the first estuary (kuala awal) that flowed north into the sea. The British corrupted the pronunciation of kuala awal to Kelawei, and it remains so today as Jalan Kelawei (rather than Jalan Kuala Awal).
Jalan Utama: Jalan Utama is the new, rather unsophisticated name for Western Road. It was so called because it used to define the western limit of George Town.
Four roads radiates out of George Town. They are:
Jalan Macalister: One of the early roads in George Town, Jalan Macalister was named after Colonel Norman Macalister, who became the Governor of Penang between 1807 and 1811. The road begins right in the heart of town, in front of Komtar, and ends at the leafy neighborhood of Jalan Utama.
Jalan Burma (Burmah Road): This road is so named because it cuts through a Burmese (as well as Thai) settlement that used to exist on the north part of George Town. The names of side roads such as Jalan Salween, Jalan Irrawadi, Jalan Arratoon, Lorong Bangkok, etc. remains as a reminder of the community.
Jalan Dato Keramat: This road is named after a shrine of a Muslim saint - keramat - most likely of South Indian or Acehnese origin. It begins at what was once Simpang Enam, the junction of six roads of which only five remains today: Jalan Dato Keramat, Jalan Macalister, Jalan Penang, Jalan Magazine and Jalan Gurdwara (formerly Brick Kiln Road). Jalan Gladstone has been erased from the map, disappearing under Komtar.
Jalan Air Itam: This road continues from Jalan Dato Keramat. It begins at the junction of Jalan Dato Keramat and Jalan Utama, in front of the City Jail, and ends at Air Itam market. (Nowadays the road is often spelled Jalan Air Hitam, but I continue to write Air Itam by tradition). Once the main road that brings farm produce from the hills, Jalan Air Itam today is heavily congested due to the main housing estates that have sprouted in the last few decades.
