The Construction Of The Pandansimo Bridge In DIY Is Completed, Take A Peek At The Advantages

Pandansimo Bridge (Photo: Ministry of Public Works)

The Ministry of Public Works (PU) has completed the construction of the Pandansimo Bridge in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) to strengthen national connectivity and accelerate logistics distribution in the southern region of Java.

The Pandansimo Bridge is expected to be a vital liaison for economic growth in the southern region of Java and equitable development between regions.

"With the completion of the Pandansimo Bridge, travel time between regions will be much reduced, vehicle operational costs are more efficient and access to agricultural production centers, fisheries and tourist destinations will be wider open," said PU Minister Dody Hanggodo as quoted from his official statement, Monday, August 11.

The Pandansimo Bridge, which connects Jalan Congot Ngremang (Kulon Progo Regency) with Pandansimo Samas (Batul Regency) is targeted to be operational by September 2025.

The construction of the bridge is part of the priority program of the DIY Cross Road Line (JJLS) along about 110 kilometers which is expected to reduce the development gap between the north coastal and south coastal areas of Java.

It is known, the Pandansimo Bridge has a total length of 2,300 meters with an average width of 24 meters, consisting of oprit, slab on pile and main bridge.

The value of the project contract reached Rp863.7 billion sourced from the state budget, with an implementation period of 579 calendar days.

Based on a feasibility study in 2017, the operation of JJLS in DIY is estimated to be able to reduce vehicle operating costs by 13.11 percent or equivalent to IDR 1.4 trillion per year, save travel time of up to 20 minutes and increase the production value of various regional commodities that are traversed by around 18.6 percent or equivalent to IDR 7.7 billion per year.

In addition to transportation benefits, the bridge will also open access to 2,164.10 hectares of agricultural land in Galur District and support agricultural production of 9,143.2 quintals of vegetables and fruit every year. Fisheries production in Srandakan District is also expected to increase by 13.3 tons per year.

The existence of the Pandansimo Bridge is expected to be the foundation for economic growth, logistics and tourism in the southern region of DIY.

Furthermore, the Pandansimo Bridge is also designed to strengthen regional resilience to disasters, in line with the Ministry of Public Works' vision to build resilient, adaptive and sustainable infrastructure.

Meanwhile, from a technical point of view, the bridge utilizes modern construction technology, such as the light and strong Corrugated Steel Plate (CSP), Lead Rubber Bearing (LRB) as an earthquake damper, Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall (MSE Wall) for land efficiency and foam mortar to reduce structural load.

The design of the bridge architecture also adopts local cultural elements, such as batik nitik motifs and the shape of the mountain on the gate and street lights while strengthening the identity of the region.

Currently, the Pandansimo Bridge is still in the process of Road Safety Audit to ensure all bridge elements and connecting roads meet traffic safety standards, comfort and smoothness. Thus, it can be used safely by the community before it is officially opened.

"The Pandansimo Bridge is not only a connecting infrastructure, but also a symbol of equitable development, especially for the southern community of DIY," he concluded.