By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Sept 2: The Ministry of Infrastructure Development will find ways to rectify the pillars of the Satok Suspension Bridge which have been found to be tilted to one side.
Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing rushed to the scene this afternoon after being notified of the latest discovery.
“As of now, we don’t know the reason, so I can’t comment, ” Masing told DayakDaily when contacted today.
The Satok Suspension Bridge, which is commonly known as Satok Yellow Bridge or ‘San Francisco Bridge’, was once a popular spot for courting couples and was the only way to reach Matang.
Elderly Kuchingites who grew up with the bridge would have fond memories of it.
The bridge was constructed in 1923 and completed in 1926 by architect AS Lowe to hold 0.3m water pipes connecting the reservoir in Matang with Kuching town.
It was 130 metres long, 2.3 metres wide and was suspended 18 metres above the river.
The bridge eventually gave in to wear and tear and was closed in 1992 due to safety reasons. It eventually collapsed in October 2004, after serving Kuching residents for 78 years.
The reconstructed Satok Bridge, which will span 213 metres by 3 metres is being rebuilt at the cost of RM8.05 million. — DayakDaily
