Suramadu bridge construction ready to roll
JAKARTA (JP): Six ministers and the commander of the armed forces gathered at the Ministry of Public Works here yesterday to discuss the latest developments on the Suramadu bridge, a planned six-kilometer bridge to connect Surabaya in East Java and Madura island.
Some of the accomplished preparations include the land topographic and geomarine study by PT Virama Karya, a state-owned engineering company, the sample technical test study by the research center of the Bandung Institute of Technology, the Surabaya Institute of Technology and the Gajah Mada University and the acquisition of 5.8 hectares of land in Madura and 6.6 hectares in Surabaya on March 31.
The bridge design made by PT Bina Karya, Parson Politech Inc and Hallcrow and Partners, has also been completed.
The ministry also studied the water supply at Bangkalan in Madura, which will supply the project with 2.1 cubic meters of water per second, which will be used to help build the bridge.
At the press conference Radinal refused to explain when construction will begin, as it has yet to be set. State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie will have a hand in this step when he returns from Japan in June.
Radinal said that the project will need Rp 500 billion (US$233.1 million), of which Rp 450 billion will finance the bridge construction, Rp 15 billion for toll equipment and Rp 35 billion for bridge components.
Financing
The project will be 80 percent financed by the Overseas Economic Corporation Fund (OECF) of Japan, 12 percent by the central bank (Bank Indonesia) and eight percent by an Indonesian- Japanese consortium.
He said that the Indonesian consortium members are PT PAL, a state-owned shipbuilding company, PT Krakatau Steel, a state- owned steel company, PT SIER, a Surabaya-based state-owned industrial estate company, PT Jasa Marga, a state owned toll road company and PT Dipa Madura Pradana, a private company chaired by Moh. Noer, former governor of East Java.
The consortium may also include some Japanese companies such as Mitsubishi Corp, Itochu Corp, Shimizu Corp, Mitsui and Long Term Credit bank (LTCB).
He said the bridge will be operated under the Build-Operation- Transfer (BOT) system for 30 years.
The meeting was attended by Habibie, State Minister of Agrarian Affairs Soni Harsono, State Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tandjung, Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave, State Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo and Commander of the Armed Forces Gen. Feisal Tanjung.(03)