Bridge to end frustrating wait for ferry

0

LIMBANG: The Pandaruan Bridge linking Limbang to Temburong District in Brunei is scheduled to open to the public this coming Dec 8, ending the frustrating wait for the ferry crossing during holidays or festive seasons.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the Brunei’s Sultan Hasannal Bolkiah will jointly open the bridge.

Minister of Works Datuk Fadillah Yusof said the joint-venture bridge project linking Sarawak and Brunei would be a welcome development for the people of both countries.

Fadillah and his Brunei counterpart Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Datuk Seri Setia Awang Abdullah conducted a final site inspection yesterday.

The Pandaruan Bridge is the vital missing link of the Trans-Borneo trunk road from Kuching, Sarawak to Tawau in Sabah.

Limbang Member of Parliament Hasbi Habibolah said it will be free to cross the bridge, which is a dream come true for frequent travellers.

It can take over five hours to queue for ferry services to cross Sungai Pandaruan, which would take less than five minutes via the bridge.

Currently, two companies operate the ferry services on a rotation basis, with each ferry accommodating a maximum load of 10 sedan vehicles and up to eight for lorries and four-wheel drives.

The bridge was approved during the 15th Malaysia-Brunei Annual Consultation in Bandar Seri Begawan in 2011 and construction began in June last year.