On September 22, Stitching Ceremony for Bintulu-Jepak Cable Stayed Bridge , constructed by a joint venture between China Communications Construction (Malaysia) Co., Ltd. and PPES WORKS, with participation from the Third Harbor Engineering Bureau, was held with great ceremony. The completion of the bridge’s main structure, 20 days ahead of the owner's schedule, was officially announced. The Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Minister of Sarawak’s Second Finance and New Economy Department, and Minister of Sarawak’s Infrastructure and Ports Development, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, along with his delegation, attended the ceremony.
The Jepak Bridge's main line stretches 3,586.234 meters, with the bridge itself spanning 1,289.6 meters. The main bridge is a three-span, semi-floating system with dual towers and dual-cable-stayed concrete structure, featuring a span arrangement of (108.4 + 267.6 + 108.4) meters, a 26-meter navigation clearance, and 88.5-meter-high towers. The total road length is 2,296.634 meters. Key construction components include a dual 4-lane cable-stayed bridge across the Kemena River, an interchange over the main urban road, approach bridges with drainage and lighting systems, the installation of streetlights and traffic safety facilities, as well as decorative bridge lighting and landscaping.
As Bintulu's landmark and the first dual-tower, dual-cable-stayed bridge with four lanes in East Malaysia, the Jepak Bridge project has attracted significant public attention. Upon completion, the bridge will directly connect Bintulu city with Bintulu Airport, benefiting nearly 300,000 local residents and greatly boosting the economic development of both Bintulu city and the Jepak area.
In his speech, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas noted that with the successful closure of the Jepak Bridge, the "dream bridge" of the people of Bintulu is one step closer to being realized. In recent years, Sarawak has closely cooperated with China Communications Construction in infrastructure connectivity, resulting in the successful implementation of several major infrastructure projects. These projects have improved transportation and logistics flow, bringing tangible benefits and a sense of happiness to the people of Sarawak. The bridge deck construction will follow, with completion expected early next year. Once finished, the Jepak area will be linked to Bintulu city, reducing the original 20-kilometer journey to just 3 kilometers. The connection between Bintulu city and the airport will also be completed, significantly improving travel convenience for residents while promoting balanced development between the old and new city areas. The bridge will also contribute to Sarawak’s road network development, creating favorable conditions for enhancing regional transportation capacity and economic growth, and becoming a shining example of the Belt and Road Initiative's contribution to local development.
Upon completion, this bridge, embodying the craftsmanship, wisdom, and hard work of Chinese bridge builders, will not only be a beautiful new landmark in Bintulu but will also become a brilliant symbol of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Malaysia.
The completion ceremony attracted wide attention from all sectors of society, with local mainstream media, including Malaysia’s Sin Chew Daily and TVS, providing live coverage.
(Reported by: Wu Yusheng)