Sunda strait bridge construction to depend on feasibility study

Bandarlampung (ANTARA News) - The realization of the proposed Sunda Strait Bridge (JSS) project will depend on the outcome of a feasibility study, Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said on Saturday.

The minister made the statement during an unscheduled visit to Lampung`s Bakauheni ferry port to inspect services for returning holidaymakers at the port.

Asked about the economic value of the bridge, Jusman said it would obviously be calculated in the feasibility study as well.

Earlier, Vice President Jusuf Kalla on behalf of the government had said he supported the project but warned that its economic value should be calculated accurately.

Kalla said the Sunda Strait Bridge project had actually been in a planning stage for a long time but its realization was hampered by technological matters and questions about its economic value.

Meanwhile, State Minister for National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Paskah Suzetta said on Wednesday, October 3, that the government fully supported the plan to build the bridge which would link Java and Sumatra islands.

"The government fully supports it. Therefore, the government wants the bridge to be built based on a precise and accurate plan," Paskah Suzetta said.

He made the remarks following the signing of an agreement to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the construction of the bridge scheduled for completion in 2025.

The bridge was expected to ensure smooth transportation of goods and people from Java to Sumatra vice versa and to encourage economic growth on the two islands, he said.

He added that the government would try to find funding sources other than the state budget to finance the project.

"The funding sources may come from a partnership between the government and the private sector. But if that is not possible the project can be funded under a business-to-business scheme," he said.