Chinese company interested to build Batam-Bintan bridge

Batam, Riau (ANTARA News) - The China Railway Company Corporation (CRCC) was interested to build a bridge to link Batam and Bintan islands in Riau province, CRCC`s Group Chairman Jeffry Goh Coo Tong said.

"We have been long studying it and we are interested in it," Tong told ANTARA here Thursday.

The company has prepared US$350 million to set up the bridge, Tong said. "That is the initial amount. The amount in the next stage is not limited," he said.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the Batam Authority Dwi Djoko said the authority had yet to open tender for the construction of the Batam-Bintan bridge.

"It`s no problem that they have prepared the fund but anyone has to win a tender first to build the bridge," Djoko said.

He pointed out that an open tender was needed to decide a company which would contruct the bridge. "The tender is expected to be opened this year," he added.

Djoko said the CRCC was not the only company which was interested to set up a bridge that would link the two islands as there were also several Malaysian companies that wanted to do so.

In the meantime, spokesman for the Riau provincial administration Muhammad Nur said although the investment in the bridge construction project would be handled by the Batam Authority there should be coordination between the provincial administration and the Bintan district administration.

"It is not only the Batam Authority but also the Bintan district administration which is responsible for the six-kilometer long bridge project," he said, adding that the provincial administration should also think of the supporting infrastructures in Batam and Bintan.

With the presence of the bridge, the trip from Batam to Bintan and vice versa would take only about ten minutes. Local people have so far taken about an hour by ferry to ply the the Batam - Bintan route.