Amir Tejo

Suramadu bridge, Indonesia's longest toll bridge, connects the East Java capital of Surabaya to Madura island. (Photo: Sigit Pamungkas, Reuters)

Newly Opened East Java Bridge Gets Pilfered For Scrap Metal And Used Parts

Less than a week after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated the country’s longest bridge in East Java, police are investigating theft and vandalism of the new structure, an official said on Wednesday.

The 5,440-meter Suramadu Bridge linking East Java to the arid island of Madura, which was kicked off with much fanfare by the president on Wednesday last week, is now missing 42 maintenance lamps, as well as some assorted nuts and bolts.

The missing lamps were reported by the project’s contractor, said AG Ismail, the head of the National Roadways Operational Agency V.

“In their report, the Chinese contractor said that 42 lamps have disappeared from inside their steel gearboxes,” Ismail said, adding that the items appeared to have been stolen during heavy traffic on Saturday and Sunday.

The missing lamps were not used to provide lighting for traffic on the bridge, but were maintenance lights fixed inside steelboxes on the underside of the structure, he said, adding that the lack of light may hamper maintenance work.

The contractor also reported that hardware had been stolen from railings on the bridge, and signs of cutting were found on some of the cables supporting the bridge’s main span.

“These are acts of vandalism. The thief could be from anywhere, from Madura or even from Java,” Ismail said.

He did not elaborate, but a commonly held stereotype of Madurese is that many of them make a living by collecting and selling scrap metal.

To prevent more bridge components from being stolen, state toll-road company PT Jasa Marga, which serves as the temporary operator of the Suramadu Bridge, is planning to weld some of the hardware at strategic locations to make them difficult to remove.

Surabaya, like many large cities in the country, has a thriving market for “recycled” goods such as used bolts, nuts, lamps and scrap metal.

“We will coordinate the plan with the project supervisor [the National Roadways Operational Agency V] to find out whether it is possible to weld the screws and the bolts at important points,” said Adityawarman, the Jasa Marga operational director.

“If necessary, we will place some security officers in areas deemed vulnerable,” he said, adding that the firm had been taking note of users’ habits during the first week of operation.

Aditya said the company was experienced in dealing with the theft of traffic signs and other equipment used on toll roads.

“We already know the season when people steal these aluminium traffic signs, which are used to produce computer casings or even cooking pots,” he said.

At certain times of the year, aluminum traffic signs are replaced with ones made of plywood, and switched back again once the peak selling season has passed, he said.

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