KUCHING: The Sejingkat Bridge is targeted for a soft opening on Oct 1, providing an alternative route that could ease congestion in Kuching city centre.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the bridge would divert a substantial portion of traffic travelling from Kota Samarahan and Serian towards Demak Laut, Sejingkat and Petrajaya away from the city centre.
“This bridge will be a very big game changer for Kuching.
“A big chunk of the traffic from Serian or Kota Samarahan will pass through here if motorists want to reach this side of the river,” he said after officiating at the bridge’s stitching (physical connection of structural segments) ceremony here, today.
Uggah, who is also Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development, said this was expected to alleviate Kuching’s persistent traffic congestion.
He said the Public Works Department (PWD) had also been instructed to conduct a comprehensive traffic study to identify new infrastructure and existing roads that should be built or upgraded as the city continues to grow.
The stitching ceremony marked the final connection of the bridge segments, completing its main structure from both directions.
Uggah said the contractor had agreed to have the bridge ready for its soft opening, citing favourable weather, adequate manpower and sufficient capital as factors supporting the target.
The RM365,737,131.16 project involves a four-lane dual carriageway bridge measuring 1,281.2 metres across the Sarawak River.
Its cable-stayed section consists of three spans measuring 200 metres, 400 metres and 200 metres, supported by six 40-metre prestressed concrete T-girder spans at both the Tanjung Bako and Sejingkat ends.
The project also includes approach roads measuring about 220 metres on the Tanjung Bako side and 210 metres on the Sejingkat side, as well as the widening of existing roads in both areas.
Implemented by KACC Construction Sdn Bhd, the bridge forms part of the Coastal Road network and is connected to the Second Kuching-Samarahan Trunk Road packages leading towards Kota Samarahan.
Once opened, it will become the 12th major bridge completed under Sarawak’s programme involving 21 bridges statewide.
