Merah Putih Bridge ( id, Jembatan Merah Putih) is a

cable stayed bridge A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern o ...

located in

Ambon city Ambon (formerly nl, Amboina) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Maluku. This city is also known as , which means "beautiful" or "pretty" Ambon. It covers a land area of 298.61 km2, and had a population of 3 ...

, Maluku,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. The bridge spans over

Ambon Bay Ambon Bay ( id, Teluk Ambon) is a bay that located in Ambon island, Maluku province, Indonesia. The bay separates Ambon island into two peninsulas; the southeastern and smaller peninsula is called Leitimur, while the larger northern peninsula ...

in Ambon Island, connecting Rumah Tiga village (Poka) in Sirimau sub-district on the north side, with Hative Kecil/Galala village in Teluk Ambon sub-district on the south side. This bridge is the longest bridge in the eastern region of Indonesia; it is the landmark of the city. Construction began in 17 July 2011. Merah Putih Bridge cost the state budget (APBN) around Rp 779.2 billion (US 59.52 million dollar). The bridge was inaugurated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 4 April 2016. The bridge was meant to cut travel time between

Pattimura Airport Pattimura International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Pattimura) is an airport in Ambon, Maluku. The airport is located 38 kilometers west of the city of Ambon. The airport was named after Pattimura (1783–1817), an Indonesian na ...

on Leihitu Peninsula,

Central Maluku Regency Central Maluku Regency ( id, Kabupaten Maluku Tengah) is a regency of Maluku Province of Indonesia. The Regency covers an area of 11,595.57 km2, and had a population of 361,698 at the 2010 Census, and 423,094 at the 2020 Census. The official ...

in the north, and downtown

Ambon City Ambon (formerly nl, Amboina) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Maluku. This city is also known as , which means "beautiful" or "pretty" Ambon. It covers a land area of 298.61 km2, and had a population of 3 ...

on Lei Timur Peninsula in the south. Previously, before the construction and completion of Merah Putih Bridge, distance of Pattimura International Airport to Ambon city center is 35 kilometers must be taken approximately for 60 minutes drive around the Bay of Ambon. The alternative is to use a ferry between the Rumah Tiga village (Poka) and Galela takes about 20 minutes, not including queuing time.

Technical description

Bay of Ambon is a narrow and deep bay than divide Ambon Island into two peninsulas; the larger Lei Hitu peninsula in the north and the Lei Timur peninsula in the south. Ambon Island region is a tectonic earthquake prone area. The length of the bridge is 1,140 meters which consist of three parts, the accessing bridge on Poka village side (north) spans 520 meters, the accessing bridge on Galala village side (south) spans 320 meters, the main bridge spans 300 meters. The main bridge is

, with span between pylons measures 150 meters.

Construction phases

Initially the bridge was estimated to cost around Rp 416.75 billion and was expected to be completed in 2014, however, this earlier schedule was not met as a result of weather problems which impeded the delivery of bridge materials. Per June 2015, 90% of the bridge is completed. The bridge construction process was delayed due to the

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

that shook Ambon on December 29, 2015. The cost also grew to Rp 779.2 billion. The bridge was completed and inaugurated on 4 April 2016.

Bridge's name

The bridge was named after the '' Bendera Merah Putih'', the flag of Indonesia. But there is another meaning behind the naming this bridge. During the occurrence of sectarian conflict in Maluku in the period between 1999 and 2002, the Christian group was called the "red group", while Muslim group called the "white group". Thus the bridge was meant to become a symbol of peace, unity and solidarity among the Moluccans.

External links

Official site

References

{{Cable-stayed bridges in Southeast Asia Bridges in Indonesia Maluku (province) Transport in Maluku (province) Cable-stayed bridges in Indonesia Bridges completed in 2016