SAMARAHAN: For as long as residents can remember, two-hour queues have been the norm for motorists and villagers waiting to cross Batang Sadong river using the ferry services on weekends.
The situation worsens during peak periods or festive seasons, as the waiting time to hitch a ride on the ferry can stretch up to four hours.
Making things worse, the ferry operating hours are also dependent on the tides and rainy season. As such, on-demand travel is out of the question.
This situation, however, became a thing of the past when the problem captured the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during his numerous visits to the constituency, years ago.
Having been made aware of the problem, Najib then announced the upcoming construction of the Batang Sadong Bridge, as a “special gift” for the people there, which has been BN’s stronghold.
The 1.48km bridge, which had cost RM231 million, was completed in 2016 and had contributed immensely towards spurring economic growth in the area.
As the country’s longest bridge spanning over a river, the Batang Sadong Bridge connected people of both sides of the river and created a better access, benefiting more than 70,000 people, including those living in Sebuyau and Simunjan.
Villager Affendi Ayub, 52, said the bridge had opened up more economic opportunities, including to those in the agricultural, fisheries and livestock businesses.
“The Batang Sadong Bridge is evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to develop the rural areas of Sarawak, not only in the context of development, but also economy,” he said.
“The dual-carriageway bridge allows villagers to transport their agricultural and fisheries products to nearby cities with lower expenses as the travel time has become shorter, plus it’s more cost efficient.”
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the bridge was among the largest infrastructure projects implemented in the Batang Sadong parliamentary constituency and it was Najib’s own initiative, after listening to the needs and aspirations of the people.
Nancy, who is Batang Sadong member of parliament, said with the facilities, more development agendas could be introduced to the area, including the coastal road project being implemented by the state government.
“Many changes can be seen in the development and economic landscape of the state’s coastal areas through the opening of the bridge,” she said.
The Batang Sadong Bridge was one of 11 new bridges built in Sarawak, with the majority still under construction, involving allocations from both the federal and state governments.