An artists impression of the Sunda Strait Bridge, which will link 80 percent of Indonesians. Construction will start in 2014. (ST/Graha Banten Lampung Sejahtera Image)
The islands of Java and Sumatra are a step closer to being linked for the first time in their history by Indonesias largest-ever infrastructure project. The China Railway Construction Corporation has inked a deal to invest in the RP 100 trillion ($10.9 billion) Sunda Strait Bridge to link the islands the largest agreement signed during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos visit to Beijing last month. The state-owned company is behind several rail projects in Africa and the Middle East.
The challenges are huge, but this will pave the way for a breakthrough, said Agung Prabowo, president director of Graha Banten Lampung Sejahtera, the Indonesian consortium behind the project. Were not out to break any records, but we want the bridge realized, as it will benefit people on both sides.
His consortium brings together the provincial governments of Lampung in Sumatra and Banten in Java, as well as a subsidiary of the Artha Graha conglomerate run by tycoon Tommy Winata. It was set up to lay the groundwork for the bridge in 2007.
It is now waiting for a legal guarantee from the Indonesian government, which is expected to come within weeks. The government is eager for foreign investors to take part in building bridges, highways and other facilities to spur the economy.
The 30km bridge had been envisioned by the countrys first president Sukarno since the 1960s, but only recently did steady economic growth make its construction more realistic.
A feasibility study is in the works, and construction is to start in 2014.
The bridge will link 80 per cent of Indonesias 240 million people by road and rail, and will take some 10 years to complete. The worlds largest ships will be able to pass under it, as the bridge will stand 80m at its highest.
Indonesias longest bridge at present is the 5.4km-long Suramadu Bridge, completed in 2009, that links Surabaya in East Java with the island of Madura. It, too, was built by a consortium of Indonesian and Chinese companies over six years.
Officials on both sides of the strait near where the new bridge will start in Anyer, Java and Bakauheni, Sumatra are already gearing up for it, with the Banten and Lampung governments publicizing the bridge to attract investors to set up shop there.
The connection will also intentionally start at Anyer, 40km south of the port of Merak, from which most ferries to Sumatra currently operate.
Geologists and disaster management officials have given the all-clear to the proposed design, by renowned Indonesian architect Wiratman Wangsadinata, which would be able to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 9 as well as eruptions of the Anak Krakatau volcano some 50km away. It was formed after the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.
The Sunda Strait is likely to be the site of a major earthquake, Professor Masyhur Irsyam of the Bandung Institute of Technology said this week. But this is only a problem if structures are not designed to be strong enough to resist it.
The bridge will also be 200km from the undersea fault where the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates meet. As a result, the impact of a tsunami on the bridge will be limited, according to simulations, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
But forget about hiking across the bridge for now: Winds at the strait are often fierce, and the crossing by ferry can stretch up to four hours.
In its report on the deal, the Beijing Review cited China Institute of International Studies president Qu Xing as saying that there is great demand for funds and technology in Indonesian infrastructure.
China is highly experienced in building railways, highways, bridges and irrigation projects, and considers Indonesia one of its major prospective investment destinations, it said.
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Details About the Sunda Strait Bridge
At 30km long from coast to coast, the Sunda Strait bridge will span a little more than the distance from Singapore to Batam.
It will, at its highest point, be 80m above sea level - taller than a 25-storey Housing Board (HDB) point block - so that the largest ships can pass through the shipping lane.
It will have six lanes for vehicles, emergency lanes and two railway tracks, in addition to oil, gas and water pipelines, and fibre-optic and electrical cables.
A vehicle traveling at 60kmh can cross the bridge in half an hour.
The bridge will consist of five sections - with two suspension bridges 2.2km long in the middle - and is likely to skirt the edge of Sangiang Island, a nature reserve.
The longest bridge over water at present is Chinas 42km-long Jiaozhou Bay bridge. It connects the coastal city of Qingdao to the suburb of Huangdao and was completed last year in time for the Communist Partys 90th anniversary.
But the Sunda Strait bridge hopes to claim a new record. The company behind it says the sections that are suspension bridges will be the longest in the world after Japans Akashi-Kaikyo bridge, where the span length is just under 2km.
The other three sections will be a series of balanced cantilever bridges, with span lengths of around 200m between pillars.
INDONESIA: A Japanese consortium is to undertake a pre-feasibility study into a proposed 144 route-km fast passenger line between Jakarta and Bandung for opening by 2018.
Following a co-operation agreement between the Indonesian government and the Japanese Ministry of Land, Transportation & Tourism, the study will be carried out by Japan Railway Technical Service and Yachiyo Engineering. The study will assess the required civil works, land acquisition, environmental impact and revenue forecasting.
Initial estimates suggest construction would cost around US$6·1bn, to be funded through a public-private partnership. A maximum operating speed of 210 km/h is envisaged to achieve a Jakarta Bandung journey time of 45 min. The line is also expected to serve a new international airport for the Jakarta region to be built at Purwakarta.
*The Chinese government is progressing with rail investment worth up to US$5bn in Indonesia, according to Vice Premier Hui Liangyu, who held talks in Jakarta on April 12. Among the projects Chinese firms are supporting is a third coal railway on Kalimantan. The 185 km coal line would link Cahu with Bangkuang at a cost of US$2·3bn; construction is being managed jointly by CREC and Bakrie Group.
On Tuesday February 7th 2012, PT.INKA has successfully conducted test run for the newest Railbus produced by PT.INKA. The Ministry of Transportation through General Directorate of Railway Transportation has ordered this Railbus and planning to operate it in the city of Padang West Sumatra.
This Railbus is the third Railbus to be produced by PT.INKA after previous success in producing Railbus for the city of Palembang and Solo. Railbus itself is has been introduced and operated in Indonesia as a public transportation vehicle since 2008 in Palembang.
The test run is conducted through Madiun Nganjuk track, the Railbus leaves Madiun train station at 10.15 Am and return at 2.130 PM, in general the test run went well without any difficulties. On the test run the Railbus was able to maintain an average speed of 70 80 km/hour smoothly
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