"This Wear Fair bridge is very important for the mobility of people and goods," President Jokowi remarked after inaugurating the suspension bridge.
The inauguration of the bridge connecting two small islands—Fair island and Kei Kecil island—is a form of the government's commitment to building infrastructure evenly throughout the country, he said.
In fact, within a year, the government has built around 200 similar bridges to ensure connectivity between sub-districts, villages, and islands, he pointed out.
"What we are building is not only big toll roads or big ports or big airports, but inter-village bridges, inter-island bridges like this. In one year, we have built approximately 200 suspension bridges to connect villages, sub-districts, and small islands," the President said.
On a separate occasion, director of bridge construction at the Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Ministry, Yudha Handita Pandjiriawan, said that the Wear Fair bridge spans 120 meters in length and 1.8 meters in width.
This type of suspension bridge was chosen because of the fast construction process and it was also in accordance with the needs of the surrounding community, he added.
Meanwhile, Head of the Maluku National Road Implementation Agency (BPJN) Jon Sudiman Damanik said he expected the community to properly maintain the Wear Fair suspension bridge as one of the state assets that provide real benefits to the community.
"Our hope is that the community will jointly protect this asset. So, we must protect this, the community must take care so that it can be maintained properly," Damanik said.
The inauguration of the bridge was also attended by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto; Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono; Maluku Governor Murad Ismail; Head of Southeast Maluku District Muhamad Thaher Hanubun; Deputy Head of Southeast Maluku District Petrus Beruatwarin; and Tual Mayor Adam Rahayaan.
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Translator: Desca L, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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