Jembatan Suramadu (Surabaya - Madura)

Suramadu Bridge linking Surabaya and Madura

苏腊马都大桥（ Jembatan Suramadu），又称马都拉海峡大桥、泗水 -马都拉海峡大桥，是印度尼西亚政府于马都拉海峡上正在营造的一座斜拉桥，建成之后将成为印度尼西亚第一长桥，连通爪哇岛上的巨港苏腊巴亚和马都拉岛。 该桥是中华人民共和国政府向印度尼西亚提供的援建项目之一。2001年，中国总理朱镕基在访问印度尼西亚时同印尼总统梅加瓦蒂会谈时，承诺中国将参与印尼桥梁项目建设。2004年，两国达成协议，中国向印度尼西亚提供 4亿美元的优惠贷款作为大桥建设资金，中国路桥（集团）总公司和中国港湾建设总公司承建大桥。由于受到2004年印度洋海啸的影响，工程在2005年11 19月 日方才正式开工，计划于2008年年底建成。

新加坡阮辉杰搜集图片制作幻灯片 2009年 6 月 19日周五Pictures compiled and made into this PPS by OHK, Singapore, Fri. 19/6/2009.

Excerpt from: The Jakarta Post, Friday, June 12, 2009, 7:08 PMJohannes Simbolon ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 05/27/2009 1:41 PM  |  Opinion

Less than 20 years ago, they were still enemies. Today, China has become one of Indonesia's largest economic partners. Since both nations resumed diplomatic relations in

July 1990 - 23 years after Indonesia cut ties with the world's most populous nation following the failed communist coup attempt which the Chinese government was accused of being

involved in - the economic relations between the two has continued to thrive. And economic relations (borrowing a phrase from the stock market) are hitting new highs

during the economic crisis, at a time when China seems to be the only one capable of helping many countries cope with the crisis given its huge foreign exchange reserves.

Indications of warmer relations are indeed plentiful. Two months ago, both countries' central banks signed a multi-billion dollar currency swap agreement under which Indonesian firms can buy Chinese products worth up to $15 billion using the yuan, while Chinese firms can buy Indonesian products of the same value using the rupiah. As far as Indonesia is concerned, the deal helps ease pressure on the rupiah,

while China's producers can expect steady orders from Indonesia despite the crisis. Indonesia imported $15.2 billion worth of goods from China last year, while exporting $11.5

billion worth of goods to the country, according to Bank Indonesia statistics.

Indonesia mostly sells natural resources and energy products to China, including palm oil, mining products and energy, and imports a wide variety of manufactured products from

China , ranging from toys, home appliances, electronic goods and cellular phones, to food and giftware. As in many countries around the world, cheap Chinese-made manufactured

products are dominant in the Indonesian market. Last but not least, Chinese and Indonesian engineers and workers are busy putting the

finishing touches on the Suramadu bridge, linking Surabaya and Madura Island . The 5.4-kilometer bridge, which is mostly financed with soft loans from China and scheduled for inauguration next month, will become a proud symbol of economic partnership between both countries, comparable to the Istora Senayan football stadium in Jakarta built by the Russians in the 1960s as a symbol of the then close partnership between both countries. The Suramadu bridge, which will become the Indonesia's longest, is being worked on by

the Indonesian consortium of PT Adhi Karya and PT Waskita Karya,

along with a Chinese consortium of China Road and Bridge Corp. (CRBC) and China Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd (CHEC). The loans for the PLN power projects and the Suramadu bridge mark a new phase the Indonesia-China economic relations. While in the past China was merely known here as the provider of cheap goods, it now also acts as a financier of mega projects in Indonesia - a role previously played by the United States, Europe, Japan and the World Bank. Reports say PLN is eagerly offering its Second Phase 10,000 MW power projects to Chinese companies, and Chinese firms that are now building the Suramadu bridge have been asked to build several other bridges in Indonesia too.

Thus, more Chinese funds are expected to flow into the country in the future, making China one of the largest lenders to Indonesia .

As lender, China has different characteristics to Europe, the US, Japan and international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF that are controlled by the above-

mentioned developed countries. While the latter group sets the adoption of the "Washington consensus" - a standard set of policies including privatization of state

enterprises, free trade, deregulation and restraint in public spending - as requirements for their clients to get loans, China does not care about all these things.

In fact, all Chinese companies operating here, including those building the Suramadu bridge, are state-owned.

China's motive is business. They will lend as long as it will benefit the loan recipients as well as themselves (Chinese companies). The loans for the PLN projects and the Suramadu bridge, for instance, will ensure the projects being worked on by the Chinese firms will not

stop halfway and the projects will help build the firms' reputations as world-class

enterprises in the long term - a reputation that will make it easier for them to get projects from other corners of the globe. Closer relations with China will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the Indonesian economy. On the other hand, it could also inspire a new debate about the most suitable economic system for Indonesia. There are still many people here who categorically reject the Washington consensus and believe Indonesia has taken a wrong path by implementing privatization and liberalization enforced by the IMF during the previous economic crisis. For these people, China, the new good friend of Indonesia , is a good model.

The author is a staff writer of The Jakarta Post.

Main bridge

25th March 2008, Causeway Surabaya side

End of March 2008, Causeway Surabaya Side

End of March 2008, Causeway Surabaya Side

Master-plan of Suramadu bridge access road (Surabaya-side)

Causeway Madura side

Approach bridge Madura side

Master plan of

Suramadu bridge

access road (Madura-

side)

During a ceremony held at the bridge construction, Mr. Hermanto Dardak, Director General of Bina Marga of the Department of the Public Works Ministry–  and Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Mrs. Zhang Qiyue pressed the button to start the closing process of the main span on Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

View of the closing process of the Suramadu Bridge's Main Span at midnight, Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Sea in a new light: The newly built Suramadu bridge lights up the night across the strait between Surabaya and Madura Island.

On Wed. 10 June 2009. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated the Suramadu bridge

Newly Opened East Java Bridge Gets Pilfered For Scrap Metal And Used Parts. Jakarta Post - Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009

Less than a week after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated the country’s longest bridge in East Java, police are investigating theft and vandalism of the new structure, an official said on Wednesday.

The 5,440-meter Suramadu Bridge linking East Java to the arid island of Madura, which was kicked off with much fanfare by the president on Wednesday last week, is now missing 42 maintenance lamps, as well as some assorted nuts and bolts.

The missing lamps were reported by the project’s contractor, said AG Ismail, the head of the National Roadways Operational Agency V.

“In their report, the Chinese contractor said that 42 lamps have disappeared from inside their steel gearboxes,” Ismail said, adding that the items appeared to have been stolen during heavy traffic on Saturday and Sunday.

The missing lamps were not used to provide lighting for traffic on the bridge, but were maintenance lights fixed inside steelboxes on the underside of the structure, he said, adding that the lack of light may hamper maintenance work.

The contractor also reported that hardware had been stolen from railings on the bridge, and signs of cutting were found on some of the cables supporting the bridge’s main span.

“These are acts of vandalism. The thief could be from anywhere, from Madura or even from Java,” Ismail said.

He did not elaborate, but a commonly held stereotype of Madurese is that many of them make a living by collecting and selling scrap metal.

To prevent more bridge components from being stolen, state toll-road company PT Jasa Marga, which serves as the temporary operator of the Suramadu Bridge, is planning to weld some of the hardware at strategic locations to make them difficult to remove.

Surabaya, like many large cities in the country, has a thriving market for “recycled” goods such as used bolts, nuts, lamps and scrap metal.

“We will coordinate the plan with the project supervisor [the National Roadways Operational Agency V] to find out whether it is possible to weld the screws and the bolts at important points,” said Adityawarman, the Jasa Marga operational director.

“If necessary, we will place some security officers in areas deemed vulnerable,” he said, adding that the firm had been taking note of users’ habits during the first week of operation.

Aditya said the company was experienced in dealing with the theft of traffic signs and other equipment used on toll roads.

“We already know the season when people steal these aluminium traffic signs, which are used to produce computer casings or even cooking pots,” he said.

At certain times of the year, aluminum traffic signs are replaced with ones made of plywood, and switched back again once the peak selling season has passed, he said.any of them make a living by collecting and selling scrap metal.