'Siti Nurbaya' bridge opened

'Siti Nurbaya' bridge opened

PADANG, West Sumatra: West Sumatra Governor Zainal Bakar
opened on Saturday the "Siti Nurbaya" bridge, which will shorten
the route from Padang to the Teluk Bayur Seaport.

Construction of the bridge began in 1995, but the government
repeatedly suspended the project because of the economic crisis
that hit the country in 1997.

"People's pessimism was answered today as we finally completed
the project, and we all are very proud of it," the governor said
during the ceremony.

The Rp 22 billion project was funded by the state budget, the
provincial budget, the Asian Development Bank and the Japanese-
based Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund.

The name of the bridge, which connects the cities of Padang
and Gunung Padang, comes from a popular local tale featuring a
character of the same name. According to the tale, Siti Nurbaya
was buried in Gunung Padang.--Antara