KUALA LUMPUR • A 370m bridge that links Kampung Baru, a historic Malay village in Kuala Lumpur, and a major road near the Petronas Twin Towers was opened yesterday.
The Saloma Link, named after the wife of legendary Malay actor P. Ramlee, is likely to boost visitorship of the sprawling Kampung Baru from locals and foreign tourists.
The bridge's official opening, at 2.30pm yesterday, comes at a time when the Pakatan Harapan government is persuading landowners in Kampung Baru to get on board a major plan to develop the area with tall, modern buildings.
The Malay enclave now contains a mix of old wooden houses and dilapidated residential and commercial buildings.
Kampung Baru and the upscale Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) area surrounding the Twin Towers are separated by the Klang River and a six-lane highway.
The Saloma Link was commissioned by the Kampung Baru Development Corporation.
In an earlier interview with Bernama, Kampung Baru Development Corporation chief executive Zulkurnain Hassan said the Saloma Link's span that crosses the river and highway is 69m long.
The project was built at a cost of RM31 million (S$10.4 million), with construction taking about 18 months.
The bridge's architecture is inspired by the sireh junjung concept - betel nut leaf arrangement - which is an integral part of Malay weddings.
Mr Zulkurnain said: "On foot, it normally takes more than 30 minutes to get from KLCC to Kampung Baru, and across several busy roads."
With the new bridge, "it will take pedestrians about seven minutes", he added.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK