'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