Palembang\'s Effort to Cut Distance for City Harmony
The Musi VI Bridge, opened in early 2021, has changed the face of Palembang City.
By
Rhama Purna Jati
·5 minutes read
The Musi VI Bridge, opened in early 2021, has changed the face of Palembang City. Built during the Covid-19 pandemic, this infrastructure instills a sense of optimism for economic recovery as it cuts distances and covers development gaps between downstream and upstream areas.
Topan Saputra (29), a resident of Jakabaring, in Palembang, South Sumatra, was leaning casually against the fence of the Musi VI Bridge on Friday (15/1/2021). His eyes stared at the Musi River with its coal barges and boats of the jukung and ketek types.
He seemed amazed by the architectural design of the bridge that features an arch concept and is adorned with decoration on one side depicting a tanjak, the distinctive South Sumatra headwear.
"This construction is indeed cool," he said.
Since it was opened to the public on Wednesday (6/1), the 925-meter bridge connecting Jl. Faqih Usman in Seberang Ulu I district and Jl. Sultan Mansyur in Seberang Ilir Barat II district has become a tourist attraction for Palembang residents.
Many motorcyclists and cyclists pull over to just enjoy the view while taking pictures of themselves from the bridge. "When night falls, Indonesia’s Musi VI Bridge is cindo nian (very beautiful)," said a resident of Palembang. The 11.5-m wide bridge is illuminated with 1,527 colorful lights.
The travel time from his home to his workplace has been cut to 25 minutes.
For Topan, the bridge, a Rp 548 billion investment, offers not just a tourist attraction but also a shortcut for his daily travel as a freelance worker. Topan no longer needs to take the Ampera Bridge, which is further away. The travel time from his home to his workplace has been cut to 25 minutes.
Delayed development
Construction of the Musi VI Bridge began simultaneously with that of the Musi IV Bridge in 2015. The idea was to complete the two bridges in time for the 2018 Asian Games. At the time, Palembang was hosting the biggest sports party in Asia, along with Jakarta. However, only Musi IV was completed, while the Musi VI project dropped far behind schedule because of a land acquisition problem.
"There were people who demanded compensation far above the market price, even seven times higher. This is what made it difficult to reach an agreement,” said the head of the South Sumatra Public Works and Bina Marga Office, Darma Budhi.
In fact, the price offered was quite high. "You could say, land owners profited from the compensation," he said.
With various approaches, the land acquisition is almost complete. Of the 151 plots of land needed, only 7 have yet to be secured.
Rita (44), a resident of Palembang’s Ilir Barat II district, said a bridge pole now marked the location of her former house. In 2017, the land and house she had lived in for decades was valued at Rp 950 million. From that money, Rita and her two siblings can buy three houses.
Rita, who has lived in the area since she was born, does not expect that her hometown will change. "As a child, this area was still forested. Now it has transformed into a city center," she said.
The Musi VI Bridge was a blessing for Rita, who has opened a pempek shop not far from the bridge. Amid the economic downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic, her business has actually improved. "Since this bridge was opened, sales have tripled," she said.
South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru believes the Musi VI Bridge can reduce the burden on the Ampera Bridge, which is now 55 years old. The new infrastructure will also help equalize development in Seberang Ulu and Seberang Ilir. This bridge is expected to become a new economic hub, which will ultimately support the welfare of residents.
Prosperity gaps
An urban development expert from Indo Global Mandiri University, Palembang, Bambang Wicaksono, said the gap between Seberang Ulu and Seberang Ilir had existed since the Dutch colonial era. At the time, there were different development concepts on both sides of Palembang City.
Seberang Ilir saw rapid development of houses, markets, houses of worship and government offices, while Seberang Ulu seems to have been abandoned and left alone, with inadequate facilities and infrastructure.
"In the past, the Seberang Ulu area was reserved for immigrants, while the Seberang Ilir area was for people of the sultanate, aristocrats and the Dutch elite," he said.
The prosperity gap was worsened by the environment of Seberang Ulu, which is characterized by deep swamps, so high costs are involved to construct buildings. "The cost of development in [the Seberang] Ilir area is multiple times that of the [Seberang] Ulu area," said Bambang.
The aim was to create harmony between Seberang Ulu and Seberang Ilir, which had long been trapped in the curse of inequality.
The discrepancy became less pronounced when president Soekarno decided to build the Ampera Bridge in 1962. The aim was to create harmony between Seberang Ulu and Seberang Ilir, which had long been trapped in the curse of inequality. Evidently, after the Ampera Bridge was inaugurated on 30 September 1965, mobility of Palembang residents improved.
The bridge is also expected to help produce a positive impact from the city center and downstream areas on the upstream areas. On the other hand, however, the bridges could also entice more and more residents of upstream areas to do activities in downstream areas.
Bambang predicts that the Musi VI Bridge will be able to reduce traffic on the Ampera Bridge. However, he hopes the next bridge will not be constructed too close by, so as to avoid an accumulation of activity and of traffic that could create bottlenecks. It would be better for the next bridge to be built in an area that is not yet growing rapidly.
In the midst of incessant infrastructure development, including bridges, Bambang noted that the Musi River had to remain part of the city development. "Since land-oriented development has grown rapidly, rivers seem to have been abandoned," he said.
(This article was translated byKurniawan Siswoko).