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Sarawak officially opened the Batang Lupar 1 Bridge to traffic today, 21 May, and it is not just another infrastructure project
Stretching 4.884km across the Batang Lupar river, the structure is now officially the longest river-crossing bridge in Malaysia, and for many Sarawakians, it marks the end of an era defined by ferry queues, travel bottlenecks, and unpredictable crossings.
Here are some of the biggest things to know about the bridge:
1. It is now Malaysia's longest river-crossing bridge
At 4.884km long, the Batang Lupar 1 Bridge officially overtakes the 1.7km Sungai Johor Bridge as the country's longest river-crossing bridge.
It is important to note that this specifically refers to river crossings. Penang bridges are still longer overall, but they are classified as sea bridges.
2. It opens just before Gawai and Hari Raya Haji
The timing of the opening is a huge deal for Sarawakians.
The bridge officially opened to traffic at 4pm on 21 May, just ahead of the annual Gawai Dayak and Hari Raya Haji celebrations, periods that typically see heavy balik kampung traffic and extremely long waits at ferry crossings.
For the first time in years, thousands of travellers heading towards interior and coastal towns will be able to avoid the notorious Sebuyau-Triso ferry congestion altogether.
3. It effectively ends a decades-old ferry route
The bridge directly links Sebuyau and Triso in Maludam, replacing the long-running Sebuyau-Triso ferry service.
The ferry service will officially cease operations tomorrow, 22 May.
For decades, residents and motorists relied on ferries to cross the Batang Lupar river, often dealing with multi-hour queues during festive seasons.
During monsoon periods, the crossing could also become rough and stressful due to strong river and sea conditions near the river mouth.
Many locals have been celebrating the opening, with Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg saying, "Sikda gago nak bertunggu feri lagik."
Roughly translated, the phrase means there is no longer any need to rush or worry about waiting for the ferry.
4. The bridge is completely toll-free
Despite carrying a price tag of RM848.75 million, the bridge will not charge motorists any toll fees.
The project was fully funded by the Sarawak government.
Construction was undertaken by a joint venture between Perbena Emas Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pansar Bhd, and China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co Ltd.
5. It is built to handle long-distance highway travel
The Batang Lupar 1 Bridge is not a small rural crossing.
It is a two-lane, single-carriageway cable-stayed bridge built to JKR R5 highway standards, allowing a speed of up to 90km/h.
The structure is supported by 87 concrete river piers driven into the riverbed.
Construction began in March 2021.
6. It dramatically cuts travel time across coastal Sarawak
Abang Johari said the bridge would significantly improve connectivity between coastal towns and major urban centres.
"With this bridge, the people can return to their hometowns easily for the Hari Raya Haji and Gawai Dayak celebrations. There will no longer be any need to wait for the ferry," he said during the state legislative assembly sitting yesterday.
Abang Johari also said journeys that once took six to seven hours are now becoming substantially shorter under Sarawak's expanding coastal road network.
According to him, travel between Kuching and Simanggang has improved so much that "one can make a breakfast there and return to Kuching for lunch".
7. It is part of a much bigger plan to eliminate ferry dependency
The bridge is one piece of Sarawak's larger Coastal Road Network and Second Trunk Road Programme.
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, the state committed to building 21 major bridges aimed at eliminating ferry dependency and improving road connectivity across Sarawak.
The Batang Lupar 1 Bridge is now the 10th completed bridge under that plan.
Another eight bridges are expected to be completed by the end of this year as Sarawak pushes towards full statewide road connectivity by 2030.
