6,000 Spots on Ampera Bridge Damaged

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

A worker paints on Monday (21/5/2018) abeam of the 63-meter-high Ampera Bridge, which was inaugurated in 1965. The iconic bridge of Palembang, South Sumatra, is being refurbished from May to November in conjunction with preparations for the Asian Games in August.

PALEMBANG, KOMPAS – At least 6,000 spots on the floor plates of the Ampera Bridge are damaged due to the huge load that the bridge ,opened in 1965, has to bear every day. Without immediate and proper repairs, this will endanger the bridge’s users. Repairs on the plates have been scheduled for September-November 2018, after the Asian Games.

The estimate damage was announced by National Highway Construction Agency (BBPJN) V metropolitan bridge commitment-making official Suwarno during an inspection of the bottom side of the bridge on Monday (21/5/2018).

“The cracks on the bottom side of the bridge are commonplace. They appear due to the bridge’s age and the load it has to bear. Therefore, we check on the bridge routinely,” he said.

Cracks on the floor plates of Ampera Bridge were nothing new. Suwarno said that, between 2010 and 2014, there were 24,000  cracked spots on the bridge’s floor plates. The huge amount of cracks is caused by the huge fire that occurred in 10 Ulu region in 2010. “However, the cracks have been repaired,” Suwarno said.

The 6,000 cracks on the Ampera Bridge this time have been found at a new location on the upstream part of the bridge. “We are mapping the cracks to determine which parts should be prioritized in the repair work,” Suwarno said.

The cracks will not affect the bridge’s structure. Suwarno said, based on the bridge’s specification, it was built to last 100 years.

To anticipate cracks, the agency will repair the bottom side of the bridge by injecting high-grade cement. “The repair work will be three months long,” Suwarno said.

The repairs must be done immediately to prevent the damage from getting worse.

A similar case was found on the Musi II Bridge in early May. Suwarno said that, at the time, damage measuring 10 meters by five meters was found on the bridge. The bridge was temporarily closed for repairs and traffic was diverted. “If the damage reaches that level, we need to spend more money [for repairs],” he said.

The floor plates’ repair is part of an Ampera Bridge rehabilitation project which was launched earlier this month. The repair is expected to be complete in November this year.

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

A worker paints on Monday (21/5/2018) abeam of the 63-meter-high Ampera Bridge, which was inaugurated in 1965.

Phases

The rehabilitation is done in phases, including repairing the bridge’s pedestrian walks, repainting, increasing the guardrails’ height and repairing the bridge’s plates.

“The Ampera Bridge rehabilitation requires around Rp 17 billion (US$1.2 million). Around Rp 8 billion is used to repair the plates,” Suwarno said.

Bridge rehabilitation project manager M Toyib Anwar said that the bridge’s floor plates would be repaired after the Asian Games. Currently, rehabilitation is focused on the visible parts, including repainting, repairing pedestrian walks and increasing guardrails’ height.

Benches, waste bins and a dedicated bike path would be installed on the pedestrian walks. Repainting is done on all sides of the bridge. The guardrails’ height is increased from 0.8 meters to 1.2 meter.

Sriwijaya University urban observer Ari Siswanto said Ampera Bridge repairs should be prioritized. The bridge, which is 1,117 meters long and 22 meters wide, is a vital part of Palembang’s interconnectivity network.

Traffic is often heavy on the bridge. “If traffic is smooth, the bridge will not have to bear heavy load. However, during traffic jams, the load will be heavier,” Ari said.

Ari said he appreciated the government’s move of limiting traffic of heavy trucks on Ampera Bridge. However, it needs to be ensured that this regulation is strictly adhered to.

The construction of the Musi IV and Musi VI Bridges, which aims to reduce traffic on Ampera Bridge, is also a good policy. Both bridges must be optimally used.

(RAM)