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