7 Famous Bridges in Indonesia, Is Your Pride Bridge Included?

Stretching from Aceh to Papua, Indonesia is an archipelagic country with so many islands within it. Such a geographical condition certainly makes Indonesia think hard about its traffic facilities. From one island to another, there are always straits and wide rivers separating them. Here, the role of bridges is very much needed.

Bridges are facilities that are eagerly awaited to connect one region with another due to the distance that is difficult to traverse by land vehicles. In addition to being a connecting structure between two regions, the construction of bridges also becomes a new historical point for proving the improvement of a region's construction.

Indonesia has a long list of bridges that have been built at no small cost. Thousands of bridges have been built in Indonesia and have their own records both domestically and internationally.

The design, quality of building materials, and decorations have certainly been considered by architects and the government so that the bridges in Indonesia look beautiful and can attract tourists. Among the thousands of bridges, there are several that are classified as famous bridges in Indonesia. Which bridges are they? Let's take a look at the explanations below.

Suramadu Bridge

Although relatively new, the Suramadu Bridge has become a very famous bridge in Indonesia. Located in East Java, this bridge connects Surabaya and Madura. Initially proposed, the Suramadu Bridge was intended as an effort to improve the economy of the Madura region, which was considered somewhat lagging in terms of per capita income compared to other areas in East Java Province.

The Suramadu Bridge was inaugurated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on June 10, 2009, after being built for about seven years. With a length of approximately 5.4 kilometers, Suramadu is recognized as the longest bridge in Indonesia and is also recorded by the Guinness World Records as the third longest bridge in Southeast Asia after the Penang Bridge in Malaysia and the Mawlamyaing Bridge in Myanmar.

Suramadu was not built haphazardly. The idea for the construction of Suramadu was even proposed by Prof. Dr. Sedyatmo, one of the most influential civil engineers in Indonesia. Design trials were meticulously conducted at the ITB campus in 1965, and all concepts were handed over to BJ Habibie, who was then serving as Minister of Development after Prof. Dr. Sedyatmo passed away. Suramadu is even claimed to be able to last up to 100 years due to the sturdiness of the bridge's construction.

Suramadu has become a benchmark for the popularity of bridges in Indonesia. Not only as a transportation facility, this bridge also has a strong influence on the economic improvement in Madura. Many tourists are curious about this bridge, and since 2017, the local government has utilized this bridge to hold an annual festival with various events, especially those related to Madura's arts and culture.

Pasupati Bridge

The Pasupati Bridge is a special icon for Bandung. This bridge, also known as the Pasupati Flyover, connects the northern and eastern areas of Bandung, stretching from Pasteur Street to Surapati Street.

Pasupati was inaugurated in June 2005 and became the second longest bridge in Indonesia with a length of approximately 2.8 kilometers. Built sturdily with unquestionable building quality, Pasupati was crowned as the first bridge that would not sway during an earthquake. This is because the Pasupati Bridge was built using special earthquake-resistant devices made by France.

The Pasupati Bridge looks beautiful at night because the tall red-and-white pillars supporting the bridge will light up with beautiful sparkling lights. The best photo spot to make the Pasupati Bridge a backdrop in the photo is from the Balubur Town Square Mall. Remember, do not take photos directly from the bridge road, friends, as it will disrupt traffic and is prohibited by the authorities.

Ampera Bridge

The Ampera Bridge is located in Palembang, South Sumatra. This bridge is iconic for the city. Like other bridge constructions in Indonesia aimed at improving the economy of a region, the existence of this bridge has also successfully improved the economy of the Seberang Ilir and Ulu areas.

The most unique thing about Ampera is that the construction of this bridge used war loot funds from Japan, amounting to 2.5 billion Yen. Not only that, Japanese construction experts also helped design the Ampera Bridge, friends.

Unlike other national bridges that were inaugurated by the president at the time, the Ampera Bridge was inaugurated by General Ahmad Yani on September 30, 1965, after being built for three years. One more unique fact about this bridge is that the name Ampera was not coined from the beginning because the first name given was the Bung Karno Bridge. Because Ir. Soekarno was not pleased, it was eventually changed to Ampera, which stands for Amanat Penderitaan Rakyat.

Red and White Bridge

The bridge that stretches across Ambon Bay is approximately 1,140 meters long. Becoming a new tourist icon of the City of Ambon, the Red and White Bridge was inaugurated in April 2016 by President Joko Widodo.

Like the Ampera Bridge, the Red and White was not named from the beginning of its construction. Allegedly, there was initially a dispute between villages, and to restore peace, the original name was Galala-Poka. However, it turned out that Poka Village was not crossed by this bridge, and the village that was crossed, namely Rumah Tiga Village, did not accept this. Finally, to reduce conflict over something that should not cause conflict, the name was canceled and replaced with Red and White as a symbol that Maluku was one of the first regions to recognize Indonesia's sovereignty.

Kutai Kertanegara Bridge

When hearing the name Kutai Kertanegara Bridge, the first thing that comes to mind is the moment the bridge collapsed, causing many casualties. The moment of the bridge's collapse occurred on November 26, 2011. However, this bridge has been repaired, friends, and stands proudly again.

The Kutai Kertanegara Bridge is also referred to as the Mahakam II Bridge and is one of the valuable icons of East Kalimantan. The design of this bridge is similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The length of the Kutai Kertanegara Bridge is 710 meters with a width of 9 meters. Built since 1995 and completed in 2001, the Kutai Kertanegara Bridge spans the Mahakam River.

Semanggi Bridge

Undeniably, the Semanggi Bridge has a beautifully designed architecture. As its name suggests, this bridge curves to form a clover leaf. The choice of the name semanggi has a great philosophy, friends.

Semanggi, a plant classified as a water fern, usually lives in rice fields and swamps. Recommended by Ir. Soekarno, the clover leaf consisting of four parts is likened to the tribes in Indonesia that are united, embracing each other.

This bridge was built because Indonesia was chosen to host the Asian sports event, the 4th Asian Games in 1962. It faced rejection at the beginning of its construction due to Indonesia experiencing an economic crisis, but now the Semanggi Bridge stands firmly and helps reduce traffic congestion in Jakarta.

Barito Bridge

The Barito Bridge has a length of 1,082 meters and crosses the Barito River, located in the Alalak District, Barito Kuala Regency. This bridge was first inaugurated on April 24, 1997, by President Suharto.

Recorded as the longest suspension bridge in Indonesia by the Indonesian Record Museum, the Barito Bridge connects the trans-Kalimantan road. Before this bridge was built, people would cross the river using boats or motorboats to reach Banjarmasin from Central Kalimantan, or vice versa.

Author: Nisa Maulan Shofa