Collapsed Bridge in Kupang Targeted for Completion by Year-End; General Maruli Says It Will Be a Christmas Gift from the President

Residents of Amfoang Barat Daya district in Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), are awaiting the restoration of a vital transport link disrupted when the Termanu Bridge collapsed in 2021.

Construction of the bridge is now being accelerated, with completion expected by the end of this year. General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak, head of the National Agency for Border Management and Disadvantaged Areas (BNPPDT), inspected progress on the Termanu and Kapsali bridges on Saturday (24 October 2026).

The two bridges are expected to restore connectivity and make it easier for local people to travel. The damage to the Termanu Bridge has affected residents’ access to schools, markets and healthcare facilities.

Maruli said the bridge construction had been ordered directly by the President. To speed up the work, the government had sent personnel and equipment from Jakarta by ship.

“The President ordered me to work on this bridge,” Maruli said during his visit to the construction site.

He explained that personnel and equipment had been deployed to support the completion of several bridges in the area, with additional personnel and supplies also being prepared.

“We sent a ship with all the equipment and personnel from Jakarta so we could complete work on several of these bridges, and we will add more later,” he said.

Maruli said he hoped the Termanu Bridge would be completed before the turn of the year. He described its completion as a hoped-for Christmas gift for the people of Amfoang.

“Hopefully, this can be a Christmas gift from the President and all of us to you. Be assured that we will never stop helping the community,” Maruli said.

Alongside infrastructure development, Maruli urged residents to continue working and to pay attention to their children’s education, including religious education.

“What matters is that you work hard and give your children a good education, both religious and formal, so that they can become the nation’s hope in the future,” Maruli said.

The government is also seeking to support residents’ basic needs, including access to clean water.

Maruli was accompanied on the inspection by BNPPDT Secretary Makhruzi Rahman; Nurdin, deputy for state border management; Edi Nurhabad, deputy for infrastructure management in border areas; and Topri Daeng Balaw, assistant deputy for land border area potential.