LONG AND WINDING ROAD TOWARDS SUNDA STRAIT BRIDGE By Fardah

   Jakarta, Nov 29, 2012 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has been dreaming of building the Sunda Strait Bridge, a mega project that will connect Indonesia's two major islands, Java and Sumatra.

         The initiative to construct the 31-kilometre-long bridge was introduced in 1960 when Prof Sedyatmo of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) conceived the plan to connect the two islands, which are currently separated by the Sunda Strait.

         However, more than 50 years have been spent on discussions, processes and controversies, so construction of the bridge has not yet begun.

         Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa recently explained that there were many issues to be considered before the project could be implemented but protracted discussions would not help improve the flow of logistics distribution and transportation across the country.

         He hoped the groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge development project would take place in 2014 and that the construction would be fully financed by the private sector.

         The Sunda Strait Bridge construction is estimated to cost US$10 billion or around Rp100 trillion, which will be funded by consortium financing.

         The mega project is a priority for Indonesia's Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI) and will be part of the Trans Asia Highway and Trans Asia Railway projects.     
    The bridge is expected to help boost the economies of Java and Sumatra.

          "When Java and Sumatra are connected by the bridge, the flow of goods and energy between the two islands will become faster and smoother," said R Sukyar, head of the geology agency of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in Serang, Banten Province, earlier this week.

         "The movement of energy will certainly be faster because gas pipes can be installed along the bridge," he explained.

          According to Sukhyar, South Sumatra is a major source of energy for Indonesia because the province maintains huge coal reserves that have not yet been exploited effectively.

        "The exploitation of Kalimantan's coal has reached 93 percent, while in Sumatra, the rate is only 7 percent because its coal industry has been hampered by transportation problems," he pointed out.

        Given the economic potential of the islands, it is not surprising that the bridge construction plan has received full support from the 10 Sumatran governors as well as the governor of the Banten Province, which is located in the western-most Java island.  
   The Sumatran and Banten governors realize they cannot rely solely on sea transportation for the flow of goods and people between the two islands.

        The bridge will significantly reduce the travel time between the islands, which currently takes several hours by ferry. Some 20 million people crossed the strait in 2006, and this figure is expected to double by 2020.

        "The support came not just from the governors of the Banten and Lampung provinces but from all the 10 governors of Sumatra Island," Shaleh MT, spokesman for the Banten provincial administration, said in Serang on Tuesday (Nov 27).

        "The 10 governors realize that the currently existing sea transportation between the Sumatra and Java islands is not sufficient for the economic development of Sumatra," he added.

         Sumatra Island consists of 10 provinces: Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Lampung, Bangka Belitung and Riau Islands.

         "The Sunda Strait Bridge is crucial for the economic development of not only Banten Province but also Sumatra Island as a whole," Shaleh noted.

          On Monday (Nov 26), Deputy Minister of Public Works Hermanto Dardak pointed out that preparations for the development of strategic industrial zones around Sunda Strait were currently underway and would "complement the construction of Sunda Strait Bridge, which will begin in 2014."
    "In principle, we are developing the basic design now. As the secretariat, we will continue to implement various important measures," he continued.

         "The secretariat is trying to identify potential major sectors that can be further developed to provide added value to these strategic zones," Dardak stated.

          "We will promote our synergy with Java, which focuses on service and food-processing industries," he added.

         Describing the planned bridge as "a dream of our people," construction expert and consultant Wiratman Wangsadinata remarked that the Sunda Strait Bridge project should be handled by Indonesian consultants rather than foreigners.

         "The Sunda Strait Bridge study has been planned for 20 years. Therefore, the project should not be handed over to foreign consultants," he told the press recently.

         "To build the mega project that will connect the Java and Sumatra islands, we need the participation of experienced foreign parties," Wangsadinata noted.

         However, Indonesia should have complete control over the construction and design of the bridge, he added.

         Wangsadinata, president-director of PT. Wiratman & Associates, a multidisciplinary consulting firm, said foreign consultants who will assist in handling the project must do so under the supervision and leadership of Indonesian experts.

         "I am confident that we can build it on our own. And we have to be confident enough to finish the construction of the bridge," he stated.

         Last month, the Indonesian government offered the Sunda Strait Bridge project to South Korea under the Jeju Initiative.

        Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa noted that the government had offered the project to South Korea because the country has the technology to build inter-island bridges similar to the Incheon Bridge that connects Yeongjong Island to Incheon.

        He added that South Korea wants to be part of the feasibility study for the Sunda Strait Bridge, but the Indonesian government has yet to decide on whether to allow it.

        "Korea also wanted to know whether the project will be fully funded by the private sector or the government," Hatta stated.

        Besides South Korea, other foreign countries interested in investing in the ambitious project include China, Japan and the United States. ***2***
(f001/INE/H-YH)