Megawati set to launch Java-Madura bridge project
Megawati set to launch Java-Madura bridge project
Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
After several delays, President Megawati Soekarnoputri is slated
on Wednesday to launch the construction of the giant Suramadu
bridge to connect the islands of Java and Madura in East Java.
However, land acquisition for the long-awaited project has not
yet been finalized, as the landowners have demanded more
expensive prices.
But the government could still go ahead with the plan, East
Java Governor Imam Utomo said.
"Hopefully, the land will be cleared for construction as soon
as possible," he added.
Megawati will officiate the ceremony to install the first
concrete pillars for the country's longest bridge.
The bridge, which will be 5.4 kilometers long and 30 meters
wide, will cost Rp 2.3 trillion (US$270 million) and is expected
to take around four years to build.
In the hope that operations will run smoothly, project
coordinators embraced a Javanese spiritual tradition on Tuesday,
by burying a buffalo head wrapped in a white cloth at the place
the concrete pillars will be installed.
The traditional ceremony was followed by a prayer session on
Tuesday night, which was attended by East Java Governor Imam
Utomo, Surabaya Mayor Bambang D.H. and more than 1,000 ulema and
community leaders from Surabaya and Madura.
The local administration finished preparations on Tuesday
morning for the arrival of Megawati.
"East Java is really well prepared to carry out the
construction of the huge project," Utomo said.
The Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure,
Soenarno, has said that the much anticipated bridge requires 7.85
hectares of land in Surabaya, Java, and 35 hectares in Madura.
The land acquisition is handled by the East Java administration.
The Rp 2.3 trillion for the project will be allotted from the
state budget and East Java's budget.
The Chinese government has agreed to provide a loan of Rp 1.5
trillion to build the bridge.
State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga has also
contributed Rp 300 billion to the bridge project which was
designed in 1990.
The project has been delayed several times because of the
current economic crisis. Also, certain Muslim groups in Madura
had opposed the construction, in fear that it would create more
social problems on the island.
It's feasibility study and detailed design were completed last
year. The study was conducted by experts from the ministry, the
provincial government, the Surabaya Institute of Technology and
the Pembangunan National Veteran University in Surabaya.