2,000-Ton Load Awaits, Public Works Minister Warns of Brebes Bridge's Resilience

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Minister of Public Works, Dody Hanggodo, inspected the Bailey Bridge in Wlahar Village, Larangan District, Brebes Regency, Central Java, on Thursday (14/5/2026). This was done to ensure the readiness of access for the mobilization of construction materials and heavy equipment to support the acceleration of the construction of the second phase of the People’s School (Sekolah Rakyat or SR) in Brebes Regency. The inspection was carried out to ensure that the bridge is safe to use during the process of mobilizing heavy construction vehicles. Dody emphasized that the bridge structure needs to be strengthened given that the vehicles crossing it are heavy-duty vehicles for construction purposes. “It is true that this bridge needs to be strengthened because heavy vehicles will be passing through. Thank God, it has started to be strengthened and hopefully, in a few days, it will be ready,” he said in a statement on Thursday (14/5/2026). Dody also requested that the bridge structure be monitored regularly to ensure operational safety during the construction process. “If there are changes in the structure or movement of the structure, it should be stopped first, repaired again, and then used again. This is what we are also doing in Aceh and North Sumatra for emergency bridges while waiting for the permanent work to be completed,” he added. The bridge was built to support access to the location of the People’s School construction in Brebes Regency. The construction of the bridge is carried out through collaboration between the Central Java-Special Region of Yogyakarta National Road Implementation Agency and the Directorate General of Strategic Infrastructure. The bridge supports the mobilization of more than 2,000 tons of steel frame structures and the traffic of mixer trucks for concrete work during the construction process. Dody said that accelerating the construction of the People’s School is a shared focus for all organizational units within the Ministry of Public Works as part of support for the government’s priority program in the field of education. “Hopefully, with the strengthening of this bridge, the progress of the People’s School in Brebes can be accelerated and completed on target by June. Thank you very much to the friends from the Directorate General of Highways and Strategic Infrastructure for working together,” he said. The construction of the People’s School in Brebes Regency is carried out using the State Budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year with a contract value of IDR 244.69 billion. The scope of work includes the construction of an integrated educational complex with a total building area of 27,372 square meters, consisting of elementary school, junior high school, senior high school buildings, student dormitories, teacher apartments, canteens, mosques, multipurpose rooms, and sports facilities. KOMPAS.com is committed to providing clear, trustworthy, and balanced facts. Support the sustainability of clear journalism and enjoy ad-free reading comfort through Membership. Join KOMPAS.com Plus now.