Bridges:Election 09 Fever?

[GWR]

Wikipedia says the Sunda Straits are a minimum of 24 Kms. wide, but the need to use the islands of Ular, Sanghyang/Sangiang (see map below) and Prajurit would almost certainly make it longer than that:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunda_Strait
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Sunda_strait_map_v3.png
[Maps: Wikipedia]

Massive bridge to connect Java and Sumatra

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten

Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiah says her administration has agreed with Lampung province to start building a bridge over the Sunda Strait separating Java and Sumatra in 2009.

"I have proposed to the National Planning Body (Bappenas) to include the Sunda Strait bridge plan into the national spatial layout plan and we thank all legislative councils in Sumatra and Java for their support for the plan," she said Saturday.

Atut said the construction of the bridge would be beneficial to all provinces in Java and Sumatra.

Atut, who is the first female governor in the country, said PT Artha Graha Network, owned by tycoon Tommy Winata, was the only company that had shown interest in investing in the Rp 94 trillion project.

Both the Banten and Lampung administrations are yet to sign a written agreement with Artha Graha.

Banten legislative council speaker Adi Surya Dharma said the construction of the crossing bridge would not be a burden on the government if the two provincial administrations were able to pull in foreign investment for the project.

"I hope all provinces in Java and Sumatra could be stakeholders in the project because they will also be advantaged by the bridge," Adi said after meeting with members of the Indonesian Provincial Legislatures Coordinating Body (BKDPI).

Adi, a councillor from the Golkar party, confirmed that he accompanied Atut and Lampung governor Sjahcroedin ZP to meet with Tommy Winata in Jakarta last week to discuss plans for the project.

Separately, Wiratman, a consultant in the bridge project, said the construction of the longest bridge in the country would need at least US$10 billion.

He said the project would be based on the Messina Strait Bridge in Italy.

"The materials used for construction must be flexible so that the bridge won't be shaken by earthquakes," Wiratman said.

Wiratman said the bridge would cross over several small islands such as Ular, Sanghyang and Prajurit.

"The bridge will have six lanes for vehicles and a lane for pedestrians," he said, adding that construction would take at least five years.

BKDPI chairman Ade Suraprayitna said he would prepare a recommendation to be delivered to all council speakers in Java and Sumatra for them to put concrete support behind the plan.

"We realize that (bridge) will open various opportunities which will in turn also help increase the welfare of people in Java and Sumatra, not just Banten and Lampung," said Ade, who is speaker of the Jakarta City Council.

He said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had expressed his support for the bridge project and had no doubts the central government would help finance it.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070924.@01&irec=0
They say this bridge will be modeled on the Messina Straits Bridge between mainland Italy and Sicily. That project - not nearly as long as this - was canceled in 2006:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Messina_Bridge

[numpty]

why the pedestrian lane?

better put a rail line on it...anyway given the risk of earthquakes in the area do we trust the builders to factor that in to the construction???

[jpatokal]

Indonesia's been building the 5.4-km Suramadu Bridge for five years now and there's still no end in sight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suramadu_Bridge

[GWR]

Sunda Strait bridge step nearer reality

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Sunda Strait

The governors of Banten and Lampung agreed Wednesday to build a bridge across the Sunda Strait to connect Merak Port in the western part of Java to Bakauheni Port in the southern part of Sumatra.

A memorandum of understanding was signed by Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiah, Lampung Governor Sjachroedin Z.P., and representatives of the consortium that will construct the bridge Wiratman Wangsadinata of Wiratman and Associates and Tomy Winata, the owner of PT Artha Graha Network.

Governor Sjachroedin said he hoped the bridge would be able to alleviate chronic traffic congestion at the Merak-Bakauheni ferry crossings.

"The number of vehicles crossing from port to port increases daily ... it's the main cause of traffic congestions at the two ports," he said in his speech at the signing ceremony on the Tunas Wisesa 03 ferry near Sangiang island, which is located between Merak and Bakauheni ports.

He added the addition of ports alone would not be enough to solve the problem.

Governor Ratu Atut said the agreement was a step toward conducting a pre-feasibility study this year, which is expected to be completed by 2009. It will take three more years to conduct the feasibility study before the construction process can begin in 2012. The entire project is expected be completed in 2025.

Around 20 to 30 passenger ships, most of which are more than 20-years-old, transport about 350,000 people and 25,000 vehicles between Merak and Bakauheni every day.

The suspension bridge is expected to cost around US$10 billion and will have six lanes for vehicles and two railway tracks. The bridge will be raised 70 meters above the surface of the sea and will span 30 kilometers over three small islands: Prajurit, Ular, and Sangiang.

Head of the National Development Planning Board, Paskah Suzetta, who also attended the signing ceremony, said the bridge was a public-private partnership, therefore the funding would be divided between the state budget and the private sector.

He said it would be possible to involve foreign loans.

"We won't close the door to foreign investors, as long as the project can provide a return. But we will try not to do that at first," Paskah said.

The concept for the bridge first emerged in the 1960s, but it was dropped due to a change in political leadership. When B.J Habibie became Research and Technology Minister in the 1980s, the idea was again heard but never implemented due to the 1997 economic crisis. The plan re-emerged when engineering professor Wiratman sounded it in 1997.

As the bridge is located in the Sunda Strait, which is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis, its construction would include four important phases involving hydrographic, oceanographic, geologic, seismological, climatological and environmental aspects.

"The biggest natural challenges are earthquakes and wind speed. We will examine the maximum wind speed reaching critical points in the pre-feasibility study, " Wiratman said.

He said the bridge, which would stand only 50 kilometers from the active Krakatau volcano, would be constructed from flexible but strong materials to withstand earthquakes and strong winds. (13)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071004.@01&irec=0

[GWR]

Indonesia's been building the 5.4-km Suramadu Bridge for five years now and there's still no end in sight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suramadu_Bridge


Monday, April 7, 2008 8:52 PM
Suramadu bridge expected to be completed next year
Indra Harsaputra and Wahyoe Boediwardhana , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, Malang | Mon, 04/07/2008 11:15 AM | Headlines

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has called for the Suramadu bridge linking Surabaya and Madura island in East Java to be completed before the start of general elections in April 2009.

"With the bridge in operation, campaigns to Madura could easily be conducted," Kalla said in a visit to the project on Sunday.

Kalla was accompanied by East Java Governor Imam Utomo and a number of ministers, including minister of industry Fahmi Idris and minister of public works Joko Kirmanto.

The 5.4-kilometer bridge is under construction between Surabaya in Java and the town of Bangkalan on the island of Madura.

The Rp 3 trillion (US$330 million) bridge, to be the longest in Indonesia, will have two lanes in each direction plus an emergency lane and a dedicated lane for motorcycles.

Yudha Andita, chief of the bridge development project, said the bridge was 76.27 percent complete at the end of last month.

He said the construction of the bridge, which was designed during the Soeharto era and kicked off by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, was entering a vital stage of the central section in the deepest waters.

"Don't worry about the money because the government has allocated Rp 900 billion for the remainder of the project," Kalla said, adding that the money was being processed by the office of the state minister of the national development planning agency (Bappenas).

"At Bappenas, the process is easy. But (the money) will be disbursed in stages because if it was disbursed all at once, it could enter the pockets," said Kalla.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/04/07/suramadu-bridge-expected-be-completed-next-year.html

[GWR]

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071004.@01&irec=0

Friday, May 9, 2008 10:14 PM
Govt speeds up $10b Java Sumatra bridge
Oyos Saroso H.N. , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 05/09/2008 9:38 AM

The government is slated to begin construction next year of the country's longest and most expensive bridge, linking Sumatra and Java islands, a year ahead of schedule.

Lampung Governor Sjachroedin Z.P. said Thursday the government would start work on the 29 kilometer bridge across the Sunda strait early in a bid to boost economic activities in Sumatra.

The bridge, connecting Bakauheni in Lampung with Merak in Banten, will cost about US$10 billion over the next 15 years, Sjachroedin said.

"All the governors in Sumatra want the development to begin soon and they expect it won't burden the government financially," he said, adding the bridge was expected to be operational by 2025.

Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said the construction costs would be shouldered mainly by private investors, with the central government financing only 5 percent of the project.

"We will attract investors to finance the bridge development by offering them incentives," he said. (rff)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/05/09/govt-speeds-10b-java-sumatra-bridge.html

[jpatokal]

The bridge, connecting Bakauheni in Lampung with Merak in Banten, will cost about US$10 billion over the next 15 years, Sjachroedin said.

"All the governors in Sumatra want the development to begin soon and they expect it won't burden the government financially," he said, adding the bridge was expected to be operational by 2025.
Somebody's been hitting the syabu again: since when can Indonesia afford to plonk down US$10 billion on infrastructure? The far less ambitious Suramadu Bridge, with a budget of ~US$320 million, has been delayed repeatedly by financial problems.

[numpty]

there s an election next year hence the hot air

[GWR]

Saturday, May 24, 2008 8:07 PM
Riau, BIDA push govt on Batam-Bintan bridge project

Fadli , The Jakarta Post , Batam | Sat, 05/24/2008 12:23 PM | The Archipelago

The Riau Islands provincial government and Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) are calling on the central government to take over the Batam-Bintan bridge development project.

Limited land and the growing population pose serious threats to Batam if it is not physically connected to Bintan Island, Riau Islands Governor Ismeth Abdullah told The Jakarta Post recently.

Ismeth said once completed, the project would benefit not only Batam but also Bintan and the two other islands connected by the bridge.

Initially proposed in 1990 alongside six other bridge projects by then BIDA chairman B.J. Habibie, the Batam-Bintan bridge project is divided into three units of bridges with a total length of 7 kilometers.

A 2.17-kilometer bridge will connect Batam and Tanjung Sauh Islands, a 3.9-kilometer bridge will run between Tanjung Sauh and Buau-Buau Islands and a 900-meter bridge will connect Buau-Buau with Bintan Island.

An estimated Rp 3 trillion is needed to construct the three bridges.

The six other bridges, which connect Batam with Tonton, Nipah, Setokok, Rempang, Galang and Galang Baru Islands, were built in 1999.

A number of foreign investors, according to Ismeth, have expressed interest in investing in the projects, but no regulations have been made to oversee investment in this kind of infrastructure project.

"That is why we ask the central government to fully finance the project," Ismeth said.

Ismeth said the completion of the project would help expand Batam's fast development to Bintan, to the benefit of both islands.

For example, Bintan, renowned for its clean water resources, can help supply clean water to Batam's 700,000 people, who depend heavily on dam water. Conversely, Batam, which has large-capacity power plants, can help supply Bintan, which has limited electricity supply.

Problems such as these can be resolved only when the bridge is completed, Ismeth said.

"That way we will also be able to maximally develop Batam's infrastructure including power plants, water-processing facilities, the airport and the harbor," Ismeth said.

BIDA public relations department head Dwi Djoko Wiwoho said that in cooperation with the Bogor Institute of Technology's industrial and research affiliation institution (LAPI-ITB), BIDA had conducted a feasibility study on the Batam-Bintan bridge construction design in 2005.

The study, according to Dwi, found any investor would break even after 10 to 15 years of operation, if the bridge were operated like a toll road.

The study also suggests for optimum use of the bridge, potential sources of income, including the industrial and tourism sectors in the three islands connected by the bridges, must also be developed.

Transportation from Batam to Bintan Islands is currently served by ferries that take about an hour to cross the channel. Motorcyclists and car users can transport their vehicles on wide-bodied ferries.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/05/24/riau-bida-push-govt-batambintan-bridge-project.html

Saturday, May 24, 2008 8:20 PM
Chinese investor shows interest in funding Batam-Bintan bridge
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 01/30/2007 4:00 PM
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam

A Chinese investor has shown interest in financing the planned construction of a bridge connecting Batam and Bintan islands, at an estimated cost of Rp 3 trillion (about US$315.78 million).

Riau Islands Governor Ismeth Abdullah told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that the company, China Railways Corporation, had visited with the provincial administration, the Batam Industrial Development Authority and the legislative council to follow up on its intention to fund the project.

""We are set to sign a memorandum of understanding with the company in March. We are still arranging some contractual terms with them. Several parties have also stated their interest in participating in the tender to build the bridge,"" said Ismeth.

The idea of the bridge was first brought up by the Batam Industrial Development Authority in April 2005. The feasibility studies and design were carried out by the authority and the Research and Industry Affiliation Center of the Bandung Institute of Technology.

The structure would actually consist of three bridges, spanning a total distance of around seven kilometers. The first bridge would connect Batam to Tanjung Sauh Island at a length of 2.17 kilometers. The next, 3.9-km long bridge would connect with Buau-Buau Island, and the last would stretch the remaining 900 meters to Bintan Island.

Ismeth said the Riau Islands administration and the Batam Authority, which would later own the bridge, are in the midst of structuring the deal, which could involve a build-operate-transfer agreement.

""We are still discussing this before signing the memorandum of understanding in March. However, there are clear signs pointing in that direction.

""The Chinese investor is apparently very eager to secure the project compared to those from other countries, such as Malaysia, but it still has to go through the tender process, which will be open to the public,"" said Ismeth.

A political science lecturer at Riau State University, Muchid Albintani, criticized the plan.

""The Batam authority and the provincial administration should learn a lesson from the Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) Bridge which was built by former president and then head of the Batam authority, BJ Habibie, because it has not been effective up till now, except as a recreation facility and a place where lovers court,"" said Muchid.

He said the project, which would cost three times the amount of this year's provincial budget, should be reviewed and fully explained to the public. Otherwise, it could benefit the political ambitions of people involved more than it benefited the province.

According to Muchid, the Barelang Bridge was initially intended to spread the development associated with Batam's industrial boom to six other islands, but had failed to do so in the nearly ten years since it opened.

""It would be better if they fixed the roads in Batam, which are full of potholes, rather than build a bridge without thinking through its effectiveness. There's still no strong reason to connect Batam and Bintan with a bridge, looking from the economic point of view,"" said Muchid.

The provincial capital of Riau Islands, Tanjung Pinang, and the Bintan regental administration are located on Bintan Island, which spans 1,776 square km and is inhabited by around 300,000 people.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/01/30/chinese-investor-shows-interest-funding-batambintan-bridge.html

[GWR]

See Today's previous report on Riau Island Bridges

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/04/07/suramadu-bridge-expected-be-completed-next-year.html

The previous report says that it was over 70% complete some months back, but this report says it hasn't even started:

Saturday, May 24, 2008 8:25 PM
Suramadu bridge project to start in August: Minister

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 02/11/2003 7:37 AM

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The construction of the Suramadu bridge that will connect Java and Madura islands in East Java is scheduled to begin in August.

Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno said the long-awaited bridge project worth Rp 3 trillion (US$340 million) would be funded with a foreign loan from the Chinese government and the state budget and its construction was predicted to take more than three years.

""The Chinese government has agreed to grant Rp 1.5 trillion as a loan to build the main bridge, while the rest of the construction will be financed from the state and East Java budgets,"" the minister said after reporting on the project to President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the latter's office here on Monday.

The President is also scheduled to attend a ceremony to mark the start of the project in August.

Soenarno explained that the bridge's construction was part of a giant project, including the planned establishment of a container port on Madura island and a six-kilometer toll road on the bridge stretching from Bangkalan on the island to Surabaya, the capital of East Java.

The bridge which will be 21 meters in width will be directly connected to industrial zones and the Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya and its outskirts.

According to the minister, the bridge project would need 7.85 hectares of land in Surabaya and 35 hectares on the island of Madura. The land acquisition will be handled by the local administration in the province.

The East Java administration and state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga have contributed Rp 300 billion each to the bridge project which was designed in 1990.

The bridge project has been delayed several times because of the current economic crisis. Certain Muslim groups on Madura island have opposed the bridge project in fear that it would create more social problems on the island.

However, last year East Java Governor Imam Utomo said that all issues regarding the rejection of the construction had been settled and government could go ahead with the plan.

The project will begin in Tambak Wedi subdistrict in the coastal area of Kenjeren of Surabaya and end in Bangkalan regency on Madura island.

The construction of the bridge is in line with the province's plan to move its container port from Tanjung Perak to Madura island.

The project's feasibility study and detailed design were completed last year.

The study was conducted by experts from the ministry, the provincial government, the Surabaya Institute of Technology and the Pembangunan National Veteran University in Surabaya.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2003/02/11/suramadu-bridge-project-start-august-minister.html

[GWR]

See Today's previous two posts on the Surumadu and Raiu Island Bridges

Saturday, May 24, 2008 8:37 PM
Planned Java-Bali bridge sparks strong criticism

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 04/02/2002 12:00 AM

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Plans to build a bridge linking the resort island of Bali with Java drew strong condemnation from a number of various quarters on Monday.

The Bali provincial government, local legislators, non-governmental organizations and visiting members of the House of Representatives all strongly rejected the plan, scheduled to start in 2003.

Bali Deputy Governor Alit Putra said on Monday the construction of the bridge would likely create new problems for the province, one of the world's most famous tourist destinations.

""Presently, Bali, especially Denpasar city and Badung regency (the island's richest areas) are facing serious problems in dealing with local migrants from Java and other islands in Indonesia,"" he said.

The influx of migrants to Bali had been aggravated by the country's economic and political crisis, which started in l997. The prosperous island has been considered unaffected by the crisis in terms of economic and social stability.

""If the central government insists on implementing the planned project, it is our people and our land which will bear the burden,"" Alit added.

Opposition also came from at least 14 members of the House's Commission VIII dealing with science and technology, environment, mining and energy, who visited the island on Monday.

They met with Alit and numerous local officials to investigate local reaction to the planned project.

Commission vice chairman Paulus M. Saul de Ornay said the central government, in this case President Megawati Soekarnoputri, should thoroughly reconsider the plan and talk to the people and the local administration before implementing the project.

""I'm not so sure that the idea comes from the President. We will find out immediately after she returns home,"" said Paulus.

The planned construction of the Java-Bali bridge is expected to lure more migrants to Bali and will likely cause further environmental, economic and social problems on the island.

The plan was announced when Megawati was visiting China, North Korea and South Korea.

On her visit to China, Prime Minister Zhu Rongji assured Megawati that the Chinese government would be willing to provide financial and probably technical and technological assistance to build two bridges, the second over the Sunda Strait linking Java and Sumatra.

The Chinese government has also promised to help Indonesia to build double railway tracks throughout Java.

A number of local officials and members of regional legislative bodies as well as members of local NGOs have also expressed similar concerns over the central government's plan.

I Ketut Muliarta, chairman of Bali and West and East Nusa Tenggara's Environmental and Development Planning Agency, said the current development projects in Bali had caused serious problems to the island's environment with the uncontrolled influx of migrants.

""Any development project to be implemented here must precisely calculate the island's burden capacity,"" Ketut said. ""Bali is now like an old man who has to carry a heavy burden on his shoulders because of unplanned and unwise development projects and the flood of tourists and migrants,"" he said.

I Nyoman Sudarma, vice chairman of the provincial legislative body, earlier suggested that Megawati and other related officials hold comprehensive talks with the people of Bali from all walks of life before exposing the plan internationally.

""The president should not view the subject from an economic point of view while ignoring cultural, religious and socio-economic aspects of Balinese society,"" he said.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2002/04/01/planned-javabali-bridge-sparks-strong-criticism.html

[jpatokal]

See Today's previous report on Riau Island Bridges



The previous report says that it was over 70% complete some months back, but this report says it hasn't even started:
Some screwup over at Jak Post? This ANTARA report describes the same trip entirely differently...

http://news.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/5/13/president-asks-the-people-to-support-suramadu-bridge-construction/

President asks the people to support Suramadu bridge construction

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News )- President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked the people to support the constructiion of the 5,4- kilometer Surabaya-Madura (Sutramadu) bridge in East Java as it is currently facing land clearance problems.

"Let us work together in building the bridge for completion as scheduled," the president said on the Indonesian warship, KRI Soeharso, during an inspection of the construction work of the Suramadu bridge on the Madura Strait on Monday.

Referring to a report from the regional administration, the President said that one percent of the land on the Surabaya end of the bridge, and three percent on the other end in Madura Island still have clearance problems.