Indonesia’s $20BN Bridge to Java Island

Indonesia has proposed building a 20 billion dollar bridge across the Sunda Strait, connecting the islands of Sumatra and Java.

The bridge would be 27 kilometers long and would carry a six lane highway and double track railway. It would be a suspension bridge with a central span of 3.3 kilometers, making it the largest suspension bridge in the world.

However, it would have to withstand dangerous earthquakes and is in a region with many active volcanoes, including Krakatoa, which killed 36 thousand people during an eruption in 1883.

If built, the bridge would cut the current 2 hour long ferry to only 20 minutes, boosting economic activity and tourism between Java and Sumatra.