BINTULU, March 18 — The long-awaited Bintulu-Jepak Bridge will have its soft opening around one week before Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Public Works Department (JKR) deputy director (infrastructure) Wisil Lichok confirmed to The Borneo Post that the bridge will be open to the public on March 23.

“There are some teething and minor technical matters that need to be cleared,” he said.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, is scheduled to officiate at the soft launch at 10am.

The project promises to revolutionise travel between Bintulu town and Jepak, bringing communities closer and fostering economic growth.

The bridge will significantly shorten the journey from Bintulu Airport to town from 22km to 6.4km.

With the finishing touches being put in place, excitement here has reached fever pitch with talk at coffee shops and gatherings often covering the iconic bridge.

During the ‘stitching ceremony’ last September, it was revealed that the bridge is 90 metres tall at its highest point with a clearance of 26 metres, and spans 268 metres across the Kemena River.

It is the first cable-stayed bridge along the coastal road project and the first cable-stayed bridge with four lanes and two towers in East Malaysia.

Construction of the bridge consumed 88,342 cubic metres of concrete and 20,160 tonnes of steel.

The RM460 million project is touted as Bintulu’s version of San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge. — The Borneo Post