Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - The construction of Jembatan Merah Putih (JMP) bridge connecting lake Ambon, Ambon city, will soon be started following announcement by Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto on August 19, 2011.

"Construction will be started in the first week of November 2011 especially the casting of the approach bridge in Poka and Rumah Tiga villages," head the Maluku and Maluku Utara national road, Jefry Pattiasina said here Tuesday.

But on the side of Galala village, only piling up had been carried out to prepare the construction of the approach bridge.

Pattiasina said the construction of JMP had been rather delayed due to the fights between residents in Ambon, on September 11, 2011, causing delayed supplies of material from Surabaya to Ambon.

"The workers who had come for the project returned to Makassar and Jakarta, for fear of the fights in Ambon," he said.

He has asked the workers of the construction of the mega project to go back to work.

He said that most of the material including the long posts had already arrived in Ambon and are still being unloaded from ship in Poka-Rumah Tiga village.

"The unloading of material which was sent by a barge at the coast of Rumah Tiga village, had once been apposed by the Galala-Poka rowers for the reason that they blocked their activities, but everything went well and smooth and almost completed," he said.

He said the budget for the JMP project had so far only amounted to 20 pct of the total Rp99.97 billion allocated by the public works ministry for the first stage.

"The budget had reached only 20 pct or Rp19.5 billion of the total, for construction, whereas the material that had been sent by the contractor is worth already more than Rp25 billion," he said.

The bridge will cut through Lake Ambon and extend from Galala village, Sirimau-Desa Rumah Tiga sub-district, Lake Ambon, with a length of 1,060 meters, 22.7 meters wide, 35 meters high and a 12 meters pavement.

Construction will be in two stages with the first stage the approaching bridge in two parts, toward Galala 440 meters and towards Poka 320 meters.

The approach bridge may cost more than Rp249 billion, and up to the end of 2011, the public works ministry had disbursed only Rp99.97 billion so far.

The second stage consists of the 300 meters long middle part with the cable stayed system. Total fund needed to complete the bridge may reach Rp750 billion from the state budget. (*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011