Floods damage bridge in Sulawesi

Floods damage bridge in Sulawesi

After days of rain, floods have cut roads linking South and Central Sulawesi.

The chief of South Sulawesi's Regional Infrastructure Agency, Bachtiar Rasul, told The Jakarta Post flooding had caused the 240-meter Sempaga bridge, on the border between the two provinces, to subside and had weakened its foundation.

"It's very dangerous to cross the bridge. Floods have caused landslides in the area, causing the nearby ground to become unstable and resulting in the bridge's foundation to subside. People coming from either direction have to use the ferry," he said.

He said the rapid river currents had worsened the situation. "We plan to build concrete walls around the bridge and on both sides of the river to prevent landslides." --JP