Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge, Road bridge in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei
Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge is a road crossing in Brunei-Muara District that stretches 30 kilometers over Brunei Bay, linking the mainland to Temburong District through a dual-lane highway system. The roadway runs several meters above the water, offering views of the bay and surrounding mangrove coastline from inside vehicles.
Construction began in 2014 and the bridge opened on 17 March 2020, ahead of schedule, after Brunei closed its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic, which would otherwise have cut Temburong off from the rest of the country. The project cost 1.6 billion Brunei dollars, with marine viaducts and two cable-stayed bridges built by South Korea's Daelim and the Labu Forest Reserve viaduct by China State Construction Engineering. On 14 July 2020 it was named after Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien, father of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Local families now travel freely between the two parts of the country for weekend visits and gatherings, something that required careful planning before this connection existed. The name honors a ruler who saw the value of bringing distant communities closer together through modern infrastructure.
The bridge is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and only Brunei-registered vehicles may use it; bicycles and pedestrians are not allowed. Cars are limited to 80 km/h and commercial vehicles to 65 km/h. Foreign-registered commercial vehicles may only use the ASEAN Highway 150 route.
The bridge carries star and crescent symbols at its highest points, placed as they are atop mosque domes, and road signs bearing the three kalimahs remind drivers of Allah. Its triangular, gem-like structure is read as two hands holding firmly, and a dome-like element stands for the unity of Brunei's four districts.
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