Bintulu-Jepak bridge to sport colours of Sarawak’s Ibu Pertiwi flag

BINTULU (Sept 23): The Bintulu-Jepak cable-stayed bridge will be adorned in the three colours of Sarawak’s Ibu Pertiwi flag – yellow, red, and black.

PPES Works (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd and China Communications Construction Company (M) Sdn Bhd joint venture director Shaun Mok Chek Wei said these colours were chosen to reflect Sarawak’s flag, adding a touch of local pride to this grand structure.

Red symbolises the courage, determination, and sacrifices of the people in their tireless pursuit to attain and maintain progress and esteem in creating a model state; yellow denotes the supremacy of law and order, unity, and stability in diversity; while black symbolises the rich natural resources and wealth of Sarawak such as petroleum and timber, which provide the foundation for the advancement of Sarawakians.

During a briefing on the mega project at the bridge’s ‘stitching ceremony’ yesterday, Mok said the connection symbolised not just the physical joining of two points but also the culmination of years of hard work, teamwork, and unwavering commitment.

He said the bridge 90 metres tall at its highest point with a clearance of 26 metres and spans 268 metres across the Kemena River.

“The Bintulu-Jepak cable-stayed bridge is a feat of engineering.

“It is the first cable-stayed bridge along the coastal road project and is also the first cable-stayed bridge with four lanes and two towers in East Malaysia,” he said.

He pointed out the construction of the bridge consumed 88,342 cubic metres of concrete and 20,160 tonnes of steel.

“Despite the unprecedented global pandemic, this project still prevailed through the astute leadership of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chaired by none other than YB Datuk Amar (Douglas Uggah Embas) himself,” he said.

Uggah filled the bridge’s final connection with concrete during the ceremony.

The project is now at 88 per cent completion, which is 0.44 per cent ahead of time and targeted to open for public access in February 2025.