Surabaya-Madura Bridge Finished by December

The completion of a bridge connecting Surabaya and Madura Island had reached 87 percent and was expected to finish by December 2008. The construction of the bridge, popularly known as “Suramadu” — for Surabaya-Madura — had lapsed over the country’s five presidencies, from the late former president Soeharto to the current Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and had spent about Rp 4.5 trillion (about US$490.7 million). The government would charge fees for motorists passing through the bridge which would be used to cover maintenance and operational costs.