Indonesia builds Southeast Asia's longest sea-crossing bridge
Indonesia will build a 7km sea bridge connecting two islands near Singapore to boost trade in the region.
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Batam Island, Indonesia. Photo:Reuters. |
The Indonesian Cabinet Office said on July 11 that construction of the 7-km bridge connecting the two islands of Batam and Bintan will begin next year at a cost of about 4,000 billion rupiah ($284 million) and take 3-4 years. When completed, it will be the longest sea-crossing bridge in Southeast Asia.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo is pushing for a $400 billion infrastructure package. The government wants to turn Batam Island into a manufacturing and shipping hub on par with Singapore, attracting $60 billion in new investment. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing will study and analyze the bridge designs by the end of the year.
Indonesia wants to develop the Batam area to attract investors looking for other destinations in Southeast Asia amid the US-China trade tensions. In addition, the bridge is also intended to take advantage of Singapore's Changi Airport building Terminal 5, with connections to Bintan.
Indonesia hopes the bridge will help reduce logistics costs and support tourism and transportation development in the region.
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Location of Batam and Bintan islands of Indonesia. Graphics:Straits Times. |
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