T

he government has agreed to build a new bridge to replace the collapsed Kutai Kartanegara Bridge in East Kalimantan.

Public Works Minister Joko Kirmanto said Friday that the government would construct the new bridge using the 2012 provincial budget and central government state budget.

“The design of the bridge will be different from the collapsed bridge. We will re-tender the project and it will be done by the local government,” Joko said after a Cabinet plenary meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Joko, however, did not give further information whether the bridge would be constructed in the same area where the previous bridge had been located.

The minister said the government would clean up the area first and make sure the area is still proper for the construction of the new bridge. “But there is the possibility of moving the location for the new bridge several kilometers away,” he said.

The Kutai Kartanegara administration previously said that the government would build the new bridge at an estimated cost of Rp 350 billion (US$38.85 million).

The new bridge will be built in Loa Kulu district, or 12 kilometers away from the collapsed bridge.

The 710-meter Kutai Kartanegara Bridge connecting Tenggarong and Tenggarong Seberang collapsed on last Saturday, killing at least 19 people who were traveling on the bridge and injuring tens of others.

The cause of the collapse has yet been announced.

Joko said that a professional team from police and universities are already in Kutai Kartanegara to investigate the incident.

“I predict the result will be announced within a month,” he said.

He refused to comment more on why the bridge had collapsed. However, he acknowledged that something had gone wrong.

On Thursday, Joko said that his ministry has found signs of weaknesses at points connecting vertical and main cables of the collapsed bridge.

“The bridge should been operable for 40 or 50 years. The Kutai Kartanegara Bridge was still 11 years old. We will do some audits and investigation,” he re-iterated.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said it suspected that the construction of the collapsed bridge was riddled with corruption.

However, KPK was not allowed to investigate the matter because the 710-meter bridge was constructed in 1995, while the anti-graft commission has only been given authority to handle corruption cases that occurred after 1999.

However, KPK deputy chairman M. Jasin said that the KPK could be called into action should the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) find indications that there was corruption in the bridge’s maintenance fund.