Communications: Steel dragons rise in the rainforest - remembering the opening of the Tayan Bridge in Indonesia, which was built by China

Pontianak, Indonesia, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A steel dragon rises in the rainforest – remembering the opening of the Tayan Bridge in Indonesia, which was built by China

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Shibo Yu Qianliang

On the afternoon of the 22nd, tens of thousands of people from nearby towns in Tayang Town, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, were crowded and their faces were filled with joy. On the same day, witnessed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the Tayan Bridge, the longest bridge in Kalimantan, was officially opened to traffic, ending the history of local people relying on ferries to travel between the two banks of the river.

Located 100 km east of Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan Province, Tayan Bridge is located in a lush rainforest area. The bridge is 1350 meters long, making it the second longest bridge in Indonesia. The project contract amounted to IDR 740 billion (about US$56 million), and was built by the Export-Import Bank of China with preferential loans and the China Road and Bridge Engineering Corporation.

The tayan bridge with red and white body is the first steel arch bridge in Indonesia, with a novel design, beautiful appearance and high technical content. The road of the bridge is straight, the iron arch is towering, and the curved lampposts on both sides are neatly arranged. From a distance, it is magnificent and beautiful, like a dragon rising from the Kapuas River.

In the past, ferries have been a "lifeline" for people and goods on both sides of the Kapuas River. After centuries of change, the number of ships has changed from wooden sampans to modern iron ships, but the local people are still unable to break through the constraints of the graben, and building a bridge across the river has become the dream of generations.

At the opening ceremony, Jokowi thanked the Chinese side for its contribution to the Tayan Bridge. He excitedly said that the opening of the Tayan Bridge has reduced the cost of cross-strait personnel exchanges and material exchanges, and opened up a new life for the people of Kalimantan.

The Tayan Bridge is also a key node project of Indonesia's national highway network, connecting the two national highways of West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, making it a veritable traffic artery, effectively improving local traffic conditions, and realizing the dream of locals "going out".

Muljana, a 40-year-old department store owner in The Town of Tayan, thought she would never see a majestic Tayon Bridge towering in front of her in her life. She excitedly told reporters that after the bridge is opened, her business will be better.

On that day, a couple with a four-year-old child came by car for an hour. Wife Lini said that she used to wait in line at the ferry port for two hours every time she crossed the river, but now she can walk 15 minutes across the bridge even if she walks. "We came to the opening ceremony to witness the majesty of the bridge and to thank China's hard-working builders."

As one of Indonesia's national key infrastructure construction projects, the Tayan Bridge project has always been highly valued by the Indonesian government. Soon after taking office, Jokowi visited the project site to comfort the bridge construction personnel and help solve the problems encountered in the project.

Located in the tropical rainforest, the surrounding natural conditions of the Tayon Bridge project are harsh, transportation and communication are inconvenient, construction resources are scarce, and it is even impossible to organize large-scale construction equipment on site. After many discussions, the Chinese experts finally adopted the overall lifting method of large sections with low risk and reliable technology. The project builders also completed the construction of the whole bridge with the "incredible" construction methods of foreign counterparts.

After more than three years of close cooperation between Chinese and Indonesian contractors, the project was completed on December 3, 2015 and accepted by the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and People's Housing. Yoda, project manager of the owner of the Tayan Bridge, gave a thumbs up in an interview and even claimed praise: "The quality of the Tayan Bridge is superior, and the construction speed is one of the best in Indonesia, and we are quite satisfied!" ”

Wei Wen, representative of the Indonesia office of China Road and Bridge Engineering Corporation, said that the Tayang Bridge not only demonstrates the strong technical strength of the Chinese, but also will become a bridge of friendship to deepen the friendly cooperation between the chinese and Indonesian peoples. (End)