Temburong bridge will be a reality by 2018

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Temburong bridge that will connect Brunei-Muara District and the country’s “Green Jewel” will shorten the travelling time to just 30-40 minutes and it is a mega project of the Ministry of Development and when completed will be an iconic landmark for the country, Borneo Bulletin reported.

Minister of Development, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi bin Hj Osman said as he spoke at the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) and contracts for the bridge project yesterday at the Ministry of Development.

Ove Arup & Partners said the bridge will be a reality by 2018 and will be built under a fast track project to complete the very important physical connection.

Pehin Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi added that this is a significant and historical event. The construction of the bridge has become a reality with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with Over Arup Consultant and Partners and Civil and Structural Consultant. It also officially kick starts the designing of the project which will be carried out for several months before the project is offered.

He added, 14 kilometres of the bridge go over the Brunei Bay making the total length of the road and bridge to 30 kilometres starting from Jln Utama Mentiri to Labu Estate.

The ministry will do its best, said the minister, to ensure that all aspects of the bridge project from its design (which meets the Bruneian criteria) to its construction and quality refl&ted an engineering work that we could be proud of.

The contract signings include several research projects such as comprehensive environmental impact assessment, soil investigation work, four survey contracts and marine geophysical work which are needed to design the structure of the Temburong bridge.

Pehin Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi urged consultants and contractors that have been given the research project under the bridge project to provide quality service with their expertise, in line with the image, performance and function of the bridge that would be on par, if not better, with other bridge projects in the region.

He also urged all government agencies involved in the preliminary preparation, be it directly or indirectly, to give their high commitment and cooperation to ensure that the project runs as planned, meets its aspiration and complete on time.

What is important to note is that it is a national project which not only involves the Ministry of Development as a stakeholder but also almost all government agencies. “This is a mega project, the first of its kind implemented in this country which would uplift the image of the nation internationally through the infrastructure and construction technology,” said the minister.

The MoA signing for the appointment of civil and structural consultant in Ove Arup & Partners was made between the Permanent Secretary (Technical and Professional) at the Ministry of Development, Dato Paduka Hj Suhaimi bin Hj Gafar and Ove Arup & Partners representative, Lim Siew Yong.

The ceremony also saw the signing of contracts and presentation of tendering offer letters to six local companies for preliminary research works. They are: Consultant MWH (comprehensive environmental impact assessment), Teca (B) Sdn Bhd (soil investigation works) and Juruukur Taib Said, Juruukur Bersatu Consultant, Juruukur Perunding Services and Juruukur CMK Consultant (for surveying works and marine geophysical).

Meanwhile Ove Arup & Partners said they will undertake the task with the same dedication that the firm has been dealing with other projects around the world.

The bridge will start from Jln Utama Mentiri from the Brunei-Muara District side and pass through Subok hill through tunnels before crossing the Brunei Bay to Pulau Baru-Baru and Pepatan and straight to Jln Labu Estate in Temburong.

For the Brunei Channel, the main span length will be about 145 metres with the tower measuring 120 metres high. The Eastern Channel (Temburong side) will have two towers with the main span length of 260 metres and 120-metre-high towers.

The construction will be divided into a series of packages with the first tender scheduled at the end of the year. The project will give opportunities for local professionals to be involved and to acquire experience in construction and maintenance of various sections of the bridge. There will be downstream benefits in terms of employment services, trading and real estate.

“In order to achieve this, we need cooperation and support from all parties involved be it the government ministries, various shareholders, contractors, peer professionals as well as the people,” said the minister.

–Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin