Emergency bridge on Trans-Sulawesi route can carry only vehicles up to 20 tons

A temporary bridge now carries traffic across the Trans-Sulawesi route in Kasimbar, but officials have warned that it can support vehicles carrying no more than 20 tons.

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The Bailey bridge we installed on the Trans-Sulawesi route is only for vehicles with loads of up to 20 tons.

The Bailey bridge was installed after flooding cut the route. Work is still underway to repair the bridge approach, which the flood eroded in Peningka village, and to remove landslide material covering parts of the road.

Bambang Reza, head of the Central Sulawesi National Road Implementation Agency, said drivers should take care because the road remains slippery. Heavy vehicles face additional restrictions because of the bridge’s limited capacity.

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Road users crossing that route should remain cautious because the road is still slippery, including when crossing the temporary bridge because its load capacity is limited.

The agency has proposed constructing a permanent bridge in 2027. Reza also called for local authorities to normalize the river channel and address conditions upstream, warning that another flood could damage the bridge approach again.

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If flooding happens again, it will affect the bridge approach, so the upstream section needs to be handled quickly.

Moh Rivai, acting head of the Parigi Moutong disaster management agency, said traffic in the flood-affected area had returned to normal. No residents had evacuated, while the district government focused on river normalization and restoring clean-water supplies after floods severely damaged residents’ water pipes.

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There have been no evacuations. We are committed to accelerating recovery with all parties involved in the field.