Surabaya-Madura bridge project to start soon

Surabaya-Madura bridge project to start soon

Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

After a series of long delays, the construction of a 5.43-km-long
bridge connecting Surabaya and Madura island in East Java will
start immediately, marked by a commencement ceremony slated to be
led by President Megawati Soekarnoputri

House Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa, who visited the city on
Wednesday, said the date for the ceremony would be decided after
Governor Imam Utomo had met the President.

"Today (Wednesday), the President held a meeting with the
governor at Merdeka Palace to discuss the planned construction of
the bridge.

"Accompanying them was Minister of Resettlement and Regional
Infrastructure Soenarno. So, let's just await the result of the
meeting," Fatwa told reporters here after holding a meeting with
East Java Deputy Governor Imam Supardi at the latter's office.

Fatwa added that the bridge, to be known as "Suramadu", was
essential to help improve economic activities between Surabaya
and Madura.

"The central government must remember that this province has
allocated Rp 40 trillion (US$40 million) annually over the last
three years to help develop the bridge, but it has only earned
some Rp 8 trillion in regional income.

"The limited budget has caused many in Madura to have a low
standard of living," Fatwa added.

Since last year, several legislators, especially those from
East Java, have called on the government to honor its promise to
build the bridge, considering that it was an important project
that would produce advantages for the local economy.

The idea for a bridge was initiated in 1990 when then
president Soeharto assigned the Agency for the Assessment and
Application of Technology to form a consortium to handle it. More
than a decade later, nothing had been developed.

It was estimated that construction of the Suramadu bridge
would cost Rp 2.16 trillion ($216 million).

The project was suspended for a decade due to financial as
well as social problems. Many Madurese openly objected to the
plan through fear that the bridge would over-accelerate
development in Madura, which would bring with it social problems,
such as prostitution.

According to Fatwa, the government of Kuwait has promised to
provide $150 million to assist the development project.

Meanwhile, Imam said that the central government had allocated
some Rp 25 billion of the state budget toward its construction,
in addition to some Rp 75 billion allocated from the provincial
state budget.

"We are awaiting approval from the President to start
construction," Imam said.