Image credit: Micheal Liew Yong Fei
Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
KUCHING: The Golden Anniversary Bridge – better known as the ‘Golden S Bridge’ – across the Sarawak River will open to public before the end of this year, says Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Speaking to reporters here yesterday, he said construction works on the bridge nearly reached completion and the government was in the process of deciding when to hold a special ceremony to mark the official public opening – possibly next month or December.
“Members of the public will get to use or visit it soon. The government is also excited to see this new icon of Kuching and Sarawak unveiled,” he added.
The pedestrian bridge at Kuching Waterfront would benefit not only the tourists, but would also encourage people staying on the other side of the river to park their vehicles and walk across, instead of driving round the long way via Satok bridge.
Upon completion, this unique curved 330m pedestrian bridge would be supported by cables from two 4m and 48-degree outward angled steel towers, topped out with stylised hornbills.
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim assured operators of the ‘perahu tambang’ (wooden boats) and river taxi business that they would not be affected so much by the bridge linking the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex with Kuching Waterfront, in that the structure would serve a different purpose.
Apart from that, he also believed that residents on the Petra Jaya side of Sarawak River would still want to use the ‘perahu tambang’ and river taxis, in that they function as a faster way to get to and from the city centre.
“Besides that, the ‘perahu tambang’ will always be the legacy of the people of Kuching and the Sarawak River. The boat operators and Sarawakians should be proud of the river taxi service, as it also reflects the life and heritage of the Malay community as well as the people living along the river.”