http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/bridge-plan-to-link-java-and-sumatra/2007/10/04/1191091279251.html
Bridge plan to link Java and Sumatra Mark Forbes, Jakarta October 5, 2007 INDONESIA plans to build the world's longest suspension bridge across the earthquake-prone Sunda Strait, passing about 50 kilometres from the active Krakatau volcano. Traversing 30 kilometres, the bridge will link Indonesia's main islands of Java and Sumatra at an estimated cost of $12 billion. Governors of Java's Banten and Sumatra's Lampung provinces have signed a memorandum to begin designing the bridge with construction company Artha Graha, which is headed by one of Indonesia's richest and most colourful tycoons, Tommy Winata. Mr Winata is renowned for his close ties to former president Soeharto and ongoing links to business interests of senior military figures. He has big investments in entertainment around Jakarta's Chinatown. The bridge, sitting on the "Pacific ring of fire", the most earthquake and volcano-prone region in the world, will link Java's Merak Port with Bakauheni in Sumatra. It will pass through the islands of Ular, Sangian and Prajurit, and stand 70 metres high so large ships can pass. Experts said the bridge was technologically feasible, but extensive and expensive safety measures would be essential to withstand earthquakes. Several quakes measuring more than seven on the Richter scale have struck waters off Sumatra in recent weeks and a stronger quake caused a massive tsunami off the west coast in 2004. Senior design consultant with Artha Graha, Wangsadinata Wiratman, said flexible construction materials would be used to protect the bridge against earthquakes of up to nine magnitude based on the planned Messina Strait Bridge in Italy. This bridge was to have boasted the longest single suspension span in the world but was abandoned last year.
