Sarawak Just Opened Malaysia’s Longest River Bridge, It Almost Never Got Built

GPS leaders were unapologetic about the political subtext at the opening ceremony, with Deputy Premier Douglas pointing to 21 bridges now completed with state funds as proof that what critics once called empty promises had become a concrete reality.

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For decades, crossing the Batang Lupar river meant queuing for a ferry, with every crossing taking between 30 and 45 minutes — longer if the weather turned or the vessel broke down.

That changed on Thursday (21 May).

The Batang Lupar First Bridge officially opened to traffic, linking Sebuyau and Maludam across one of Sarawak’s widest rivers.

At 4.844 kilometres, it is now the longest river-crossing bridge in Malaysia, built to JKR R5 standards with a two-lane single carriageway.

Its cable-stayed main span stretches 598.8 metres, with a navigational clearance of 250 metres wide and 26 metres high — wide enough for river traffic to pass freely beneath.

The crossing that once took up to 45 minutes now takes roughly five minutes by car.

@utusanborneo Jambatan Batang Lupar No. 1 yang menghubungkan Sebuyau dan Maludam, dan mula dibuka hari ini, merupakan jambatan terpanjang menyeberangi sungai di Malaysia. Sebelum ini, Jambatan Sungai Johor sepanjang 1.7 kilometer merupakan jambatan terpanjang menyeberangi sungai di negara ini. Merentasi kira-kira 4.8 kilometer merentasi Batang Lupar, jambatan baharu itu merupakan sebahagian daripada transformasi infrastruktur menyeluruh Sarawak di bawah Program Rangkaian Jalan Pesisir dan Jalan Utama Kedua yang bertujuan meningkatkan ketersambungan antara kawasan pesisir dan bandar utama. Pembinaan jambatan itu secara rasminya bermula pada Mac 2021. Berita penuh di pautan. #jambatanbatanglupar1 ♬ original sound – UtusanBorneo

The Money That Stopped

The bridge cost RM848.7 million to build, and every ringgit came from Sarawak’s own funds — not from Kuala Lumpur.

It was one of three bridge projects along Sarawak’s Coastal Road alignment that were cancelled by the former federal administration, before the GPS-led state government chose to revive all three through its own financing.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who also serves as Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development, was direct at the opening ceremony.

Batang Lupar 1 is the longest bridge in Malaysia and was built entirely using Sarawak Government funding.

Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi, who is also the Sebuyau Assemblyman, described the bridge as proof that the Sarawak Government could deliver “projects once considered impossible”.

A Record, and a Statement

For residents of Sebuyau, Maludam, Trisino and the surrounding coastal communities, the bridge ends a daily frustration that shaped how they worked, traded and travelled for generations.

Douglas confirmed that travel from Kuching to Miri no longer requires a single ferry crossing along the main coastal route.

Some ferry services will be retained for more remote areas, with existing vessels redeployed to Sedaya and Tanjong Embang.

What today’s opening signals is something broader: Sarawak is increasingly building its own future, on its own terms, with its own money — whether Putrajaya is on board or not.

The bridge was built by a joint venture between local firm Perbena Emas Sdn Bhd and Chinese state-owned engineering giant China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group (MBEC) — one of the world’s most experienced builders of large-scale river crossings.

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