The Suramadu Bridge

The Suramadu bridge crosses the strait between Surabaya and Madura, a span of more than five kilometres that opened in 2009 and remains the longest bridge in Indonesia. Its middle section is cable-stayed, hung from two tall pylons, with long approach viaducts on piers running out over shallow water at either end. Motorcycles have their own lanes on the outside, which makes the crossing possible on a scooter and gives the best view of it: fishing platforms and boats below, the port cranes of Surabaya behind, and the flat salt-and-tobacco country of Madura ahead. At the Madura end, stalls and an evening market have grown up around the landing.

History

A bridge to Madura was first proposed in the early 1960s by the engineer Professor Sedyatmo of the Bandung Institute of Technology, and interest revived in the mid-1980s. Work was suspended in the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, the East Java government took the plan up again from 2000, and the 5.4-kilometre bridge opened in June 2009 (Wikipedia, Suramadu Bridge).

What to look for

• The cable-stayed span - the two pylons and their fans of cable over the shipping channel.
• The motorcycle lanes - the outer lanes with an open view down to the water.
• The Madura end - the stalls and evening market that gather at the landing.
• The strait below - fishing boats and bamboo platforms in shallow green water.

When to go

Any dry-season day, since the crossing itself takes minutes. Late afternoon and evening are the pleasant hours, when the heat drops, the lights come on and the Madura side fills with food stalls. Avoid the morning and evening commuting peaks if you are driving. Crosswinds occasionally make the span uncomfortable on a scooter.

What to expect

It is a road bridge, not a viewpoint: there is nowhere to stop on the span, pedestrians are not allowed, and photographs have to be taken while moving or from the shore. The approaches through northern Surabaya are congested and industrial. Madura beyond the landing is flat, hot and thinly visited, so treat the crossing as the start of a longer trip rather than an outing in itself.

Nearby

The Ampel quarter and the old harbour of Surabaya are on the city side; Bangkalan and, further east, the palace town of Sumenep lie on Madura.

Key facts