A much publicized project of a bridge linking both islands of Sumatra and Java turns concrete following Japan’s financial engagement.
JAKARTA- Indonesia nurtures for a long time to link one day both Java and Sumatra by a physical link. For over a decade now, the government has been looking to find the necessary investments to develop the Sunda Strait Bridge, a 30-km long structure which would make the link one of the longest in the world. The dream is getting closer now to concrete following the commitment of Japan to help Indonesia developing the Sunda Strait Bridge.
Indonesia Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said that the Indonesian government confirmed that the government is taking over the feasibility study from the private sector. The Government will take full responsibility for the developed project because it would have to bear the costs if the results were not as expected. The feasibility study, he said, will cover construction, funding, legal issues and land availability. The government would also cover the expenses if the project failed.
Indonesia’s commitment then helped Japan’s decision to look at the project. Japan’s Deputy Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourist (MLITT) Naoyoshi Sato, declared that the Japanese government had heard about the 30-kilometer Sunda Strait Bridge project and expressed interest in getting involved in the project. “We will provide sea-bridge experts, as requested by the Public Work Ministry, but only for a short time,” Sato said, as quoted in a statement from the ministry. “Until now, we could not commit such help in the long run.” Indonesia already signed a deal with China Railway Construction for the construction of a rail track on the bridge, a project estimated at US$ 10.6 billion.
The bridge would then link 80 % of the country’s 240 million population by road and rail. Construction could start as soon as 2014 and take about 10 years to complete.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
