Noefefan Bridge, 380-meter bridge in Oecusse, Timor-Leste
The Noefefan Bridge is a two-lane tied-arch road bridge over the Tono River in the suco of Lifau, Oecusse. It is 360 metres long and 20 metres high, with three arches, and its deck carries the coastal road between Pante Macassar and Citrana. It stands less than 500 metres from the river's estuary on the Savu Sea.
In October 2014 the Ministry of Public Works awarded PT Adhi Karya a US$17.2 million contract for a bridge over the Tono River, and ground was broken on 5 November 2014. Construction began in April 2015, five months late. Waagner Biro Indonesia changed the planned truss into a tied-arch design. The bridge opened on 10 June 2017, after two years of work.
The bridge carries the coastal road from Pante Macassar toward Citrana, serving the sucos of Bene-Ufe, Usitaco, Suni-Ufe, Taiboco and part of Lifau. Before it opened, the flooded Tono cut off more than 3,600 families from government services in Pante Macassar. The name Noefefan is used in Portuguese and Tetun alike.
The bridge carries the coastal road between Pante Macassar and Citrana, with a turnoff toward Passabe near its southern end. In the dry season the Tono River dries up, but from November to April it carries too much water to cross without the bridge. As of 2018, the paved road ended abruptly at the bridge's western end.
The bridge features an arch design chosen by Indonesian engineers to better suit local river conditions and geography. This adapted approach to engineering makes it notable among regional infrastructure projects.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,870 contributors worldwide.