KUCHING, Nov 21 — The city of Kuching now has a new landmark, the Satok Suspension Bridge with a design reminiscent of the ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ in San Francisco, the United States.
Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said apart from that, what was unique and important about the Satok Suspension Bridge was its construction history, where it has now been been re-built on the original site it was built on in 1923 during the time of Charles Vyner Brooke, who was the third White Rajah.
He said that, at that time, Charles Brooke had hired leading European architect AS Lowe, who was the younger brother of CP Lowe (Director of the Public Works Department at that time), to design the architecture of the bridge.
“The construction of the bridge began in 1920 at an estimated cost of US$52,000 (RM217,542) and was fully completed in 1926, to become one of the milestones in the development of the city of Kuching at that time.
“Now with the completion of this new suspension bridge, it will boost Sarawak’s economy in terms of tourism and provide nostalgia about the (historical) bridge for the new generation. It is also the state government’s effort to modernise the area from Darul Hana to Satok,” he said at the opening ceremony of the bridge here today.
For the record, in 1992, the suspension bridge had to be closed because it was obsolete and uneconomical to repair. Its main cables had also snapped, causing it to collapse into the Sarawak River in 2004, after linking Kuching old town for 78 years.
Finally in 2017, the state government re-planned the re-construction of the 213-metre suspension bridge at a cost of RM8.05 million and it was fully completed in March this year to benefit pedestrians from the Satok area to Medan Niaga. — Bernama
