Prabowo States Bridge Construction as Evidence of State Presence
President Prabowo Subianto has affirmed that the construction of hundreds of bridges across various regions represents proof of state presence extending to the smallest level of society.
Prabowo stated that the bridge construction projects resulted from the dedicated efforts of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Task Force, particularly the Bridge Task Force, which was assigned to accelerate the development of connecting infrastructure across multiple regions.
“This is evidence once again that the central government, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, is present,” Prabowo said during a video conference from Jakarta on Monday, 9 March.
The President explained that the government specifically formed this task force and tasked the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Maruli Simanjuntak, to directly lead the bridge construction projects across various regions.
According to Prabowo, a four-star general is personally overseeing the construction of bridges, ranging from large structures to small bridges located in villages.
Prabowo emphasised that the government will not allow the public to face difficulties without state presence.
The President considered infrastructure development such as bridges to be an important component in ensuring that public access remains secured.
“The Government of the Republic of Indonesia will not allow its people to suffer or face difficulties,” Prabowo asserted.
The President has just inaugurated 218 bridges constructed across various regions, including disaster-affected areas such as Aceh, whilst praising the rapid work of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in completing the construction.
Prabowo, in a video conference from Jakarta on Monday, stated that the inauguration included 77 Bailey bridges, 59 Armco bridges, and 82 pioneer bridges constructed within approximately 2.5 months.
“With the invocation of Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, this afternoon, Monday, 9 March 2026, I, Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, hereby inaugurate 77 Bailey bridges, 59 Armco bridges, and 82 pioneer bridges,” said Prabowo as quoted in the live broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel on Monday afternoon.
The President described the completion of the hundreds of bridges as demonstrating the commitment of TNI soldiers and officials in the regions to assist communities affected by disasters and regions requiring connecting access.
The President noted that to build a permanent, representative bridge requires a budget of Rp80 billion, whilst the budget capacity of East Lampung Regency’s regional budget is only Rp18.99 billion.
One such bridge connecting Mempiu hamlet in Cerucuk village with Air Mungkui hamlet in Bulu Tumbang village had been damaged. To date, this access remains unusable, leading local residents to construct an emergency bamboo bridge for pedestrians and motorcyclists.
Presidential Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya reported on the progress of the Bridge Task Force’s performance to President Prabowo Subianto.
Through the Village Electricity programme (Lisdes) and New Electricity Installation Assistance programme (BPBL), residents in remote areas can now enjoy lighting that was once merely a dream.