Palu - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) will rebuild the Yellow Bridge or Palu IV Bridge which was destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. Construction of the bridge which is an icon of the City of Palu will begin with an engineering and geological investigation to determine the level of security against earthquake risks that may occur in the future.

 "The results of research and geological recommendations will be the basis for adjusting the bridge design. Later we will also consult with the Governor and Mayor related to the design so that this bridge becomes an icon of the new Palu City," said Minister Basuki while reviewing the handling of the Yellow Bridge in Palu City, Central Sulawesi, Wednesday (10/24/2018).

Minister Basuki said, the PUPR Ministry would first clear the bridge from the remaining debris. "The schedule must be clean on November 6, 2018. Then, we will then build a bridge with a new design to become a new icon of Palu City," said Minister Basuki.

According to Minister Basuki, rebuilding the 250 meter long bridge will take at most one year. During the one-year repair, residents can use three other bridges connecting the districts of East Palu and West Palu.

In addition to reconstructing the Yellow Bridge, Minister Basuki said, the Ministry of PUPR will restructure the coastal areas damaged by the tsunami. Cleaning of the area around the Yellow Bridge and city streets, especially in the center of Palu City and Talise Beach has been carried out to restore the socio-economic pulse of Palu after the earthquake and tsunami.

Head of the Central Sulawesi Disaster Management Task Force at the PUPR Ministry Arie Setiadi Moerwanto said, after cleaning the remaining Yellow Bridge ruins and the results of the geological recommendation were completed, construction would immediately begin with a design and build method to speed up its completion.

The yellow bridge which is also commonly called the Ponulele Bridge was completed by the Palu City Government in 2006. This bridge is special because it is the first arch bridge in Indonesia and stretches over the Talise Bay, Besusu and Lere, Palu City.

Since it was inaugurated, the bridge as high as 20.2 meters from the bridge body and has a width of 7.5 meters has become one of the favorite places for tourists to capture photos. Various beautiful moments are often witnessed by the surrounding community from the top of this bridge, ranging from sunset views to ocean views.

Also attending the review was Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola, Director General of Cipta Karya Danis H. Sumadilaga, Head of Central Sulawesi Disaster Management Task Force, PUPR Ministry Arie Setiadi Moerwanto, BPIW Secretary Firman H Napitupulu, SPAM Development Director Agus Ahyar, Head of BPJN XIV Satriyo Utomo, Head of PUPR BWS Sulawesi III Yusuf Tambing, and Head of the Public Communication Bureau Endra S. Atmawidjaja. (Jay)

Public Communications Bureau
Ministry of PUPR