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.