Sunda Strait Bridge

The Sunda Strait Bridge was a planned road and railway megaproject between the two large Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java.
The suggestion for a bridge was reportedly first put forward in 1960 by Professor Sedyatmo from Institut Teknologi Bandung as a part of broader plans, known as Tri Nusa Bimasakti, to link the three islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali.
In October 2007, after years of discussion and planning, the Indonesian government gave the initial go-ahead for a project which includes several of the world's longest suspension bridges, across the Sunda Strait. However, when Joko Widodo was elected, his incoming government announced in November 2014 that plans to build the bridge would be shelved.

Outline of the project

Construction of the bridge would be an ambitious project, being much more expensive than any other single infrastructure investment yet carried out in Indonesia. If the project goes ahead as planned, it would join the list of the world's most expensive transport infrastructure.
The project, with an initial estimated minimum cost of at least US$10 billion but probably considerably more, is for a series of bridges carrying a six lane highway and double track railway traversing the three islands of Prajurit, Sangiang, and Ular in the strait. The upper structure with a span of would be similar to the Messina Strait Bridge in Italy, while the lower structure with a span of would be similar to the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan. Officials in the consortium that plan to build the bridge originally hoped that construction would begin in 2012 but even the plan to prepare a feasibility study was delayed beyond 2012. There were originally hopes that the first travellers might cross the bridge as early as 2020 although the likely completion date is tending to drift because of delays in discussions about plans for the project.
There are different views as to the most appropriate design for the details of the bridge, and even as to whether the construction of a bridge is the best way of easing the current serious transport bottlenecks for movement between Java and Sumatra. Alternatives which some observers favour are the construction of a tunnel or, more simply, improvements to the existing intensively used ferry services.
One of the various possible designs that has been mentioned involves a project of around 27 km in length with the following sections alternating across land and water:
Possible sections of Sunda Strait Bridge

Section	Length	Structure	Location
Section I	4.9	Road	Java to Ular Island
Section II	6.5	Suspension bridge	Ular Island to Sangiang Island
Section III	6.5	Road	Across Sangiang Island
Section IV	4.0	Suspension bridge	Sangiang Island to Prajurit Island
Section V	5.4	Road	Prajurit Island to Sumatra
Total	27.3

One of the difficult technical challenges to be considered is the fact that the strait is near the Sunda Trench in one of the world's most dangerous earthquake zones and is frequently rocked by significant tremors. Many active volcanoes lie in the area, including Krakatoa only 40 km away. The best known eruption of Krakatau in 1883 culminated in a series of massive explosions that killed tens of thousands of people.
The bridge would significantly cut the travel time across the Sunda Strait which takes several hours by ferry. Some 20 million people crossed the strait in 2006 and the figure is forecast to double by 2020. The bridge would connect Java, with a population of around 140 million, with Sumatra. A bridge might encourage some Jabodetabek commuters to move to Lampung province in southern Sumatra from Banten in West Java. The capital Jakarta lies some 100 km to the east of the strait, on Java. Java is the most populous island in the world, and Sumatra is fifth.
A BBC news report in June 2010 put the estimated cost at $20bn and suggested that construction may start as early as 2011.

Timeline

Pre-2012

Pre 2000

Various references made as early as the 1960s to the possibility of building a bridge across the Sunda Strait. From time to time, senior political figures, academics, and others, mentioned the desirability of considering the project.

2007

Early announcements made of plans to build the bridge. Early costs of $10 bn were mentioned.
May: The provincial governments of Lampung and Banten announce support for the plans to build the Sunda Strait Bridge. Earlier plans to build a tunnel were declared too risky and too expensive.

2009

Aug: A pre-feasibility study on the construction of the bridge, conducted by PT Bangungraha Sejahtera Mulia, was presented to the Indonesian Government.
Dec: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono established a high-level ministerial committee chaired by the Coordinating Economic Minister to oversee preparations for the construction of the bridge.

2010

Some reports had raised the possible cost of the bridge to $20 bn.

2011

Jan:The provincial governments of Lampung and Banten indicated that they were ready to form a consortium to participate in the construction of the bridge as soon as president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a Presidential Decree setting out details of the establishment of a proposed Strategic Infrastructure Enterprise Zone to support plans for the bridge. Coordinating Minister Hatta Rajasa said that the degree would be ready within a week.
Apr: The bridge was listed as a megaproject in the proposed Sumatra Economic Corridor in Indonesian Government's Economic Masterplan.
Apr: GS Engineering and Construction Corporation from South Korea affirmed its interest in participating in the construction of the bridge. It would stretch 31 kilometers from Anyer, Banten to Bakauheni, Lampung through Sanghyang, Prajurit and Ular islands.
May: Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said South Korea had expressed an interest in helping construct the bridge
Sep: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that construction would start by 2014.
Dec: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a Presidential Regulation to facilitate further planning for the construction of the bridge. This Regulation, amongst other things, established the KSISS area. Ground breaking for the bridge was expected to take place in 2014.
2012
Jan: Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said that the feasibility study for the bridge would start in 2012 and take two years to complete. He also said that one of the state-run construction companies would take part in the project although which company was not specified. He estimated that the bridge would cost around Rp 125 trillion to build and that discussions had been held with experts from Japan and South Korea about the details of construction.
Feb: the president director of PT Graha Banten Lampung Sejahtera, the consortium established to prepare development plans for the bridge, noted that arrangements were going slowly because government commitment was "lacking." He said the key to progress "lies in the government's hands." The consortium consists of companies owned by the Banten and Lampung district governments along with PT Bangungraha Sejahtera Mulia, a subsidiary of the Artha Graha Network owned by Indonesian businessman Tomy Winata.
Mar: During a visit by president Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono to Beijing, an agreement was signed to facilitate a joint investment in the Sunda Strait Strategic and Infrastructure Development Plan between PT Bangun Sejahtera Mulia and China Railway Construction. Tommy Winata said that he hoped that Chinese business groups would finance the entire Sunda Strait project estimated to cost around $12 billion.
Apr: The Office of the Coordinating Minister said that the Ministry of Finance was still preparing details to cover tendering details for the bridge. A special regulation was needed to provide some preferences for the project initiator, PT Graha Banten Lampung Sejahtera, but also to ensure proper tender arrangements.
Jun: The Ministry of Finance indicated that it did not support the provision of preferences for project initiators which might affect tendering arrangements. The Ministry proposed a revision to the earlier presidential regulation to remove stipulations that provided preferences to firms which prepared feasibility studies for the bridge. Under the revised arrangements the government itself would finance the feasibility study so there would be no need to provide any special considerations for the project initiator. An editorial in The Jakarta Post noted that 'the finance minister's recommendation that the presidential decree be amended... could save the project from becoming a potentially huge political and fiscal "time bomb" '.
Jul: The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. is reported to have expressed interest in providing long-term finance.
Jul: The governors of Lampung and Banten provinces voice objections to the proposal that the central government would take over the funding of the feasibility plan from the consortium that the governors had been supporting.
Jul: Disagreements between the Minister of Finance and other ministers, including the Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, attracted considerable comment in the national press. The main disagreements were reported to be about the arrangements for a feasibility study for the bridge as well as associated concessions to be offered in the tender process.
Nov: It was announced that consideration was being given to classifying the bridge as a "solicited project" in order to help clarify the legal basis of the project. In the case of "solicited projects", the initiative for developing the project lies with the Indonesian government. In contrast, "unsolicited projects" are initiated by a private sector entity. To clarify this matter, a revision to Presidential Instruction No 86/2011 on the Sunda Strait Strategic Infrastructure Region would be needed.