Piano Bridge in Serang to Be Repaired, Completion Targeted for November 2026

A wooden bridge in Mekarsari Village, Carenang District, Serang Regency, has deteriorated and frequently causes accidents. The Banten Provincial Government says it will repair the bridge to make it more fit for crossing.

The bridge was built around 25 years ago through community self-reliance. Residents call it the Piano Bridge because, whenever a vehicle crosses, the wooden beams forming the bridge floor produce a noisy sound.

At present, many parts of the bridge’s wooden beam flooring are riddled with holes. The arrangement of the beams has also become untidy, with growing gaps between them, so that when vehicles pass over, a loud scraping noise can be heard.

“The old bridge has already claimed many victims. Motorcyclists have fallen off, while cars often get stuck, especially during the rainy season,” said Gulamudin, a resident of Mekarsari Village, on Tuesday (21/7/2026).

Gulamudin said that from the time the bridge was first built until now, it has never been repaired. The repair plan is only now being realised this year.

“At first, when the Governor (Andra Soni) promised to repair it, people here were apathetic. They simply didn’t care because they had been promised so many times. But it turned out to be different. After the promise was made and a site visit took place, the repairs began not long after,” he said.

Banten Governor Andra Soni said the bridge’s construction is a fulfilment of the community’s aspirations. The bridge is a vital access route for local residents, despite its current severely damaged condition.

Andra said the Banten Public Works and Spatial Planning Office (PUPR) is currently building a new bridge, targeted for completion in November 2026.

“The old bridge is only about 2.5 metres wide, in a bare-bones condition, and can only accommodate one car at a time. The new bridge is designed to be 5 metres wide with a span of up to 60 metres, so two cars can pass,” he said.

Andra Soni added that the bridge’s construction is expected to boost economic activity and open up community accessibility, in education, healthcare, the economy and agriculture alike.

For Andra, building roads and bridges is a continuous effort to nurture people’s hopes for a better future.

“We cannot change the past, but we can give hope to our children in the future,” he said.