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| Ketapang Public Works Office Still Reviewing Rp 15B Bridge Project: Re-Tender or Postpone. |
Ketapang, Borneo Tribun – Head of Ketapang’s Public Works Department, Deneri, said his office is currently considering two options regarding the Rp 15 billion steel bridge project in Priangan Village, Jelai Hulu District, Ketapang.
According to Deneri, the first option is to conduct a review of the administrative documents for the contractor already selected by the LPSE Ketapang working group. The second option is to postpone the project and shift the budget to 2026, considering limited work time and unpredictable weather conditions.
This statement came after Deneri led a meeting with Priangan villagers at his office on Monday (Sept 29, 2025), where residents demanded the project be implemented immediately.
“We believe it would be better to reopen the bidding process in January 2026 to allow a longer work period. If forced this year, the maximum completion rate would only reach around 30 percent,” Deneri explained.
He also stressed that the current Rp 15 billion budget is not enough to complete the bridge in full. “We still need about Rp 5 billion more to make the bridge fully operational,” he added.
The project, valued at Rp 15 billion, has already gone through the tender process, and a winning bidder has been announced. However, by the end of September 2025, no work has started on-site.
“We want certainty. The funds are available, the tender is done. Don’t let this project disappear at the end of the fiscal year,” said Yohanes Brand, a community leader from Jelai Hulu, during the meeting at the Public Works office.
He noted that construction has already passed five stages but remains unfinished. The Priangan Bridge, he emphasized, is a crucial access point connecting eight villages and serving as the shortest route to Lamandau Regency, Central Kalimantan.
“This is purely the people’s aspiration. There’s no political agenda or outside influence here. We just want clarity, even if it means a re-tender,” Yohanes said.