R

epair work on the northern span of the Comal Bridge in Pemalang, Central Java, was stalled several times on Tuesday due to heavy rains.

Despite the challenge, authorities were optimistic the repairs would be completed on Thursday and the bridge would be ready to use by Friday morning.

'€œToday, we carried out soil layering and compacting. Tomorrow, we will carry out paving and we hope repair work will be completed on Thursday, so the bridge can be used by vehicles on Friday,'€ Sumarjono, the head of Bina Marga directorate general'€™s Operation Unit I overseeing Kendal-Brebes, told reporters on Tuesday.

National Police chief Gen. Sutarman had inspected the Comal Bridge restoration process on July 17. He immediately observed that both ends of the northern span had subsided by about 1 meter and closed the bridge the following day.

The southern part of the bridge, which saw more severe subsidence, was opened to pedestrians on Monday, so people no longer needed to cross the Comal River by boat at a tariff of Rp 3,000 (25 US cents) for each trip.

Although the bridge was considered safe, the pedestrians were only allowed to use the sidewalk on the southern span.

'€œPedestrians must be careful and follow the signs set up by officers,'€ Sumarjono said.

While the closure created frustration for homebound revelers who had to take a 30-kilometer detour to avoid the bridge, the traffic along the Java'€™s northern coastal highway (Pantura) from Comal to Semarang was relatively fluid for motorcycles.

'€œTraffic was smooth because I traveled by motorcycle, so I could weave through the cars. Those who travel by cars [on the alternative route] were trapped in congestion,'€ said Sukirno, a traveler driving from Jakarta to his hometown in Grobogan, Central Java.

Sukirno and his three colleagues were taking a break at the Subah teak forest rest area, where many travelers found food stalls and were able to use the services of masseurs and car washers. The quick car wash was covered by the parking fee.

'€œActually, I did not ask them to wash my car and they just rinsed it with water and then wiped it, but I had to pay Rp 15,000, which included parking,'€ said Yusuf, who was returning to Demak in Central Java.

Kudus Regency Police have installed four CCTV cameras to monitor conditions in the field during the Idul Fitri post-Ramadhan holiday, locating them at the Induk Jati bus terminal, at the Kerawang post, in the Simpang Tujuh area and at the Apotek intersection.

The completion of repairs on the Comal Bridge was anticipated by homeward bound motorists in Central Java. The province expects to see 7.9 million holidaymakers on the move during the exodus, 70 percent of which usually travel via Pantura using various modes of transportation.

Meanwhile, the redirection of heavy vehicles to the southern part of Central Java has caused heavy congestion in the area.

Bina Marga officials said the bridge subsided because the foundations of its lower section were undercut by erosion, leaving the upper part alone to shoulder the burden of passing vehicles.