Barelang Bridge


Barelang Bridge is a chain of 6 bridges of various types built in 1997 that connect the Rempang-Galang island group in the Riau Archipelago with the principal island of Batam to its north. The smaller islands of Tonton, Nipah, and Setotok connect Batam and Rempang, while a further small island - Galang Baru - is connected at the southern end of the chain. The entire Barelang region covers.
Some locals call the bridge Jembatan Habibie after Jusuf Habibie, who oversaw the project in construction, aiming to transform the Rempang and Galang islands into industrial sites.
The concept design for the 6 bridges were proposed by Bruce Ramsay of VSL. Habibie had requested that the designs should be based on a variation of different structural bridge types, in order to introduce & develop new bridge design & building technologies for the Indonesian market. Over time the bridge sites have grown more into a tourist attraction rather than just a transportation route, and the expected economic benefits have not materialized.
The full stretch of all 6 bridges total to. Travelling from the first bridge to the last is about and takes about 50 minutes. Construction of the bridges started in 1992 and took names from fifteenth to eighteenth-century rulers of the Riau Sultanate.

Bridges

  1. Tengku Fisabilillah Bridge, connects Batam and Tonton island. It stretches for and is the longest of the six, being a cable-stayed bridge with two pylons and main span.
  2. Nara Singa Bridge, a cantilever bridge with total length and main span, connects Tonton island with Nipah island.
  3. Ali Haji Bridge, a girder bridge with total length and main span, connects Nipah island with Setoko island.
  4. Sultan Zainal Abidin Bridge, a cantilever bridge with total length and main span, connects Setoko island with Rempang island.
  5. Tuanku Tambusai Bridge, an arch bridge with total length and main span, connects Rempang island with Galang island The road deck was constructed using the incremental launching method, whereby the deck was constructed on the bridge approach and then launched horizontally by the use of hydraulic jacks with special sliding bearings out over the previously constructed arch.
  6. Raja Kecik Bridge, the smallest bridge with a total length of, connects Galang island with Galang Baru island.