Prabowo Inaugurates 218 Bridges: Government Will Not Leave Citizens in Difficulty

JAKARTA — President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed the government’s commitment to assisting communities facing difficulties, with a primary focus on building infrastructure in regions with limited access.

Prabowo expressed this commitment during a virtual ceremony inaugurating 218 bridges distributed across Indonesia on Monday, 9 March 2026.

“I have instructed the Commander of the Indonesian Army General Staff, a four-star general, to lead the construction of bridges—not only major ones but also smaller bridges,” Prabowo stated, according to remarks broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s Youtube channel.

Prabowo commended all parties involved in constructing the 218 bridges and completing them within a relatively short timeframe.

“The inauguration of 218 bridges completed within 2.5 months represents an extraordinary achievement. This accomplishment demonstrates the genuine commitment of all Indonesian military personnel and regional officials in disaster-affected and other areas that urgently require these bridges,” Prabowo said.

He reiterated this message to his Red and White Cabinet, emphasising that development projects should not be concentrated solely in major cities.

“Some may regard a crossing of dozens of metres as strategically insignificant. The government I lead takes pride in responding to our people—those who are small, most distant, and most remote,” Prabowo stated.

Among the immediate beneficiaries are students who no longer struggle to reach schools. “I now sleep more peacefully knowing that children in remote villages no longer need to cross rivers in dangerous conditions. Our children in isolated areas no longer need to sit in classrooms in wet clothing,” Prabowo said.