“We have continued connecting communities throughout the state – not only with the Batang Lupar Bridge 1, but all the bridges we are building today. They are funded by Sarawak’s own resources.”
– Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
DEAR fellow Sarawakians, especially Kuchingites, have you visited the newly completed Batang Lupar Bridge 1?
I’m proud to announce that I have. On July 21, 2026, a day before this year’s Sarawak Day, to be exact.
At 4.84 km long, the RM848.75 million bridge which opened on May 21 this year, is the longest river-crossing bridge in Malaysia. It spans the mouth of the Batang Lupar river to connect Sebuyau, a small coastal district and town in the Samarahan Division of Sarawak, with Kampung Triso, a coastal rural settlement and farming fishing village in the Betong Division.
My family members had read so much about Sarawak’s newest mega-project that we decided to visit it and see its striking features firsthand.
The journey was quite long, about two hours’ drive from Kuching City. Our entourage consisted of six adults and a toddler. We had an experienced driver and travelled in his Perodua Aruz, a popular 7-seater national SUV known for its space, high ground clearance and fuel efficiency.
On both sides of the road leading to the Batang Lupar Bridge 1, we saw many coconut trees, nipah palms and oil palms. We also saw many houses, schools and government buildings.
We began our journey at around 12.20 pm and did not stop along the way.
We arrived at the bridge about two hours later. Personally, I have never visited Sebuyau or Triso before. Our driver had – when the old Sebuyau-Triso ferry service was still operating.
The bridge has now replaced the ferry service, cutting crossing times from up to 40 minutes to just five minutes.
Our driver stopped on the bridge to allow the rest of us to take photographs and admire the views. Many other vehicles also stopped so that their passengers could disembark.
Batang Lupar Bridge 1 is really beautiful. It features a striking cable-stayed design and offers breathtaking views of the vast river on one side and the direction of the South China Sea on the other.
Since its opening on May 21, 2026, the bridge has, in fact, become a popular weekend road-trip destination and a symbol of local pride. It draws crowds of local visitors and tour buses eager to witness Sarawak’s latest wonder.
As I stood on the bridge, I saw how wide the river estuary was.
Before the bridge was built, crossing the wide river estuary by using the Sebuyau-Triso ferry service took about an hour. Travellers had to wait a long time for their turn and operations were sometimes disrupted by bad weather or unfavourable tide conditions.
Batang Lupar river, famous for its tidal bore phenomenon and legendary stories of Bujang Senang, an Iban warrior who transformed into a giant saltwater crocodile, and its dense population of large estuarine crocodiles, is now in the Malaysia Book of Records because of this bridge; it is Malaysia’s longest river-crossing bridge.
Since its opening, Batang Lupar Bridge 1, now a key part of the coastal road network connecting Sebuyau to Triso, has completely transformed the state’s coastal transport sector. It has also boosted tourism in Sebuyau and other villages along the way.
Between the Batang Lupar Bridge 1 and Kuching, the coastal road route passes through the administrative districts of Sebuyau, Sadong Jaya, Asajaya and Kota Samarahan.
If you have lots of free time, you can visit all these districts and discover their beauty.
During our journey back to Kuching, I wished we could visit all these towns but alas, time was not on our side.
We could only stop in Sebuyau town for a toilet break, drinks and some snacks at a coffeeshop. I ordered a chicken ‘pau’ (popular soft, fluffy round steamed bun filled with sweet or savoury ingredients) and discovered that it was made in Kuching.
There is a Pasar Tamu (open-air native market) Sebuyau but we learnt that jungle produce and local goods were primarily sold during the vibrant weekend market days, especially on Sundays.
But luckily on our way back to Kuching, we came across a roadside stall which sold fresh catches like mud crabs, bamboo clams and edible sea snails. I bought some sea snails which I later fried with chillies, garlic and aromatics.
We also stopped at Pasar Nelayan (Fishermen’s Market) Kampung Tembirat, Asajaya where we bought some fish and prawns. All the catches were so fresh!
We arrived in Kuching at around 5.30 pm. What a memorable and enjoyable trip it was.
Batang Lupar Bridge 1 and Sebuyau. I will always remember you.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
