JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has completed a suspension bridge connecting the North Palopo-Toraja route in Battang Barat Village, West Wara District, Palopo City, South Sulawesi, and officially functioned on Friday (25/9).
The construction of the bridge is an effort to restore connectivity due to the landslide disaster in July 2020 due to very high rainfall in the upper reaches of the river and resulting in cutting off the national road access to Palopo-Toraja Utara.
Head of the Center for National Road Implementation (BBPJN) South Sulawesi, Ministry of PUPR, Muh. Insal U. Maha said that the suspension bridge has a span of 84 meters with a length of the approach road to Palopo direction of 140 meters and the direction of Rantepao 57 meters, with a width of 4.2 meters which can withstand loads of up to 1.5 tons.
Insal said that this suspension bridge is a temporary transportation route that can only be passed by pedestrians and two-wheelers. "Indeed, this bridge is temporary. Later we will build a permanent bridge that can be passed by cars and other vehicles," he explained. (LM)