Malaysia’s Longest River Bridge Opens in Sarawak, Built by Chinese Firm
A 4.844-kilometre sea-crossing bridge built by a Chinese enterprise has officially opened in Sarawak, Malaysia, ending decades of reliance on ferry crossings and marking a milestone in China-Malaysia infrastructure cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The Batang Lupar 1 Bridge — also known as the Rupa Bridge or Lupar Cross-Sea Bridge — was officially launched on July 9, 2026, by Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg, after opening to traffic on May 21. Spanning the Lupar River between Sebuyau and Maludam (Triso), it is now the longest river-crossing bridge in Malaysia, according to the Malaysia Book of Records.
A Bridge Decades in the Making
The bridge, costing approximately RM848.7 million (about US$190 million), was fully funded by the Sarawak state government after the federal administration cancelled the project following the 2018 general election. Premier Abang Johari said at the launch ceremony that the cancellation was a challenge, but the state decided to proceed using its own funds.
“We formed the GPS government and decided to continue with the construction of this bridge using our own funds, amounting to nearly RM1 billion,” he said, as reported by TV Sarawak.
Construction began in March 2021, with the main structure connection completed in January 2026. The bridge was built by China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group (MBEC), a subsidiary of the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC), in a joint venture with local firm Perbena Emas Sdn Bhd.
Engineering a Challenging Estuary
The bridge site presented formidable engineering challenges. Located at the mouth of the Lupar River — a funnel-shaped estuary with large tidal fluctuations, rapid currents, and thick layers of soft soil overlying granite-hard rock — conventional construction methods were not viable.
Hu Wei, project manager for MBEC, explained that the Chinese team shifted the main construction work onto the water, relying on flat barges, concrete mixing ships, and ultra-large pile-driving vessels to overcome the complex conditions, as reported by ECNS.
Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas noted that the project required “the largest launching gantry and tallest piling barge ever deployed in Malaysia,” according to The Rakyat Post.
The bridge features a 598.8-metre cable-stayed main span with double towers standing over 110 metres tall, designed to JKR R5 standards with a two-lane single carriageway.
Transforming Daily Life
For local communities, the impact has been immediate. The crossing that once took 30 to 45 minutes by ferry — longer during bad weather — now takes approximately five minutes by car. The ferry service between Sebuyau and Triso was permanently terminated on May 22, the day after the bridge opened.
Kashin, a 70-year-old Iban elder who relied on the ferry for 50 years, told Seetao that his grandfather once told stories of crossing by boat. Now his grandson drives across the bridge. “This bridge built by Chinese engineers truly connected the days of facing each other across the sea,” he said.
The bridge is a key component of Sarawak’s Coastal Road Network and Second Trunk Road Programme, which aims to eliminate all ferry crossings along the Kuching-Miri coastal route and stimulate growth in agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and industry.
A Political Statement and a BRI Showcase
The Batang Lupar 1 Bridge carries significance on multiple levels. For the Sarawak government, it is a powerful symbol of the state’s ability to independently finance and deliver major infrastructure projects — a point underscored by Premier Abang Johari’s remarks about federal cancellation.
For China, the project represents a successful BRI collaboration. MBEC created local jobs and provided skills training, enabling Malaysian workers to participate in large-scale bridge construction. The bridge is one of 21 planned along Sarawak’s coastal corridor; 11 have been completed, with six more scheduled for completion in 2026.
What’s Next
With the Batang Lupar 1 Bridge now operational, attention turns to the remaining bridges in Sarawak’s coastal road programme. The bridge is toll-free and expected to accelerate economic development in the region, while serving as a tangible example of China-Malaysia infrastructure cooperation under the BRI framework.