Merah Putih Bridge () is a cable stayed bridge located in Ambon city, Maluku,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. The bridge spans over

Ambon Bay Ambon Bay () 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 is called Leihi ...

Ambon Island Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south, and three districts (''k ...

, 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 A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern-day use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures ...

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 Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...

on 4 April 2016. The bridge was meant to cut travel time between Pattimura Airport on Leihitu Peninsula, Central Maluku Regency in the north, and downtown Ambon City 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 that 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 cable stayed bridge, 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 earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

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 A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

group was called the "red group", while

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

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 Ambon, Maluku Transport in Maluku (province) Cable-stayed bridges in Indonesia Bridges completed in 2016