Bekasi Regency Builds Bekasi-Karawang Connecting Bridge Hoping To Get Economic Wheel Movement

The location of the construction of the bridge connecting Bekasi-Karawang Regency in Bojongmangu District. (Pradita Kurniawan Syah / Antara).

JAKARTA - The Bekasi Regency Government, West Java plans to build a bridge connecting Bekasi Regency with Karawang Regency in Bojongmangu District to move the economy of the residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This year, hopefully it will be realized according to the previous target," said Head of the Bekasi Regency Regional Development Planning Agency, Dedy Supriyadi in Cikarang, as reported by Antara, Thursday, January 21.

Dedy said the budget for the connecting bridge construction came from the West Java Provincial Government's National Economic Recovery (PEN) loan in 2021 amounting to Rp. 30 billion with zero percent interest.

"So the provincial budget is Rp. 60 billion, we split it in two, Rp. 30 billion for the development of the Bungin Beach tourist area and Rp. 30 billion for the Bojongmangu Karawang Bridge. We are just working on it, the DED has been prepared by the West Java Provincial Government," he said.

He said that in principle, the project was expected to be able to move the community's economy during the COVID-19 pandemic which had not yet ended.

"The construction of the Bojongmangu-Karawang Bridge can improve the economy of residents in both regions," he said.

Dedy explained that the Rp. 60 billion budget allocation received by the Bekasi Regency Government is part of the West Java Provincial Government's national economic recovery loan in 2021 of Rp. 2.2 trillion from PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI).

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said of the total loan, IDR 800 billion was loaned to cities and regencies as an effort to drive the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Head of Bojongmangu Sub-district Agung Suganda believes that the construction of the Bojongmangu-Karawang bridge will have a positive impact, especially in opening economic access to the community.

"The construction of this bridge is very good for the economic development of the community. Hopefully this bridge will be the pride of the Bojongmangu people," he said.

He said that as a transportation route in the southern region of Bekasi Regency, the bridge that crosses the Cibeet River will facilitate and accelerate the mobility of residents.

"So people who want to go to Karawang or to Loji or to Jonggol do not have to go through Kaligandu," he said.

The Bojongmangu Bridge will be the fourth main bridge connecting the Karawang-Bekasi area. Three other bridges that already exist are the Cabangbungin-Batujaya Bridge, the Pebayuran-Rengasdengklok Bridge, and the Bojong-Tanjungpura Bridge.