By: Zaki Salleh
BAGAN DATUK – The Bagan Datuk Bridge witnessed a historic moment as the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin, graced it with his presence for its official inauguration, henceforth naming it the Sultan Nazrin Shah Bridge.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The construction of this bridge was funded by the government and executed by the Ministry of Works.
Before this, road users from Sitiawan had to take a detour through Hutan Melintang Road to reach Bagan Datuk, a journey that took more than an hour, covering a distance of over 50 kilometres.
With the completion of this bridge, the distance from Sitiawan to Bagan Datuk has been drastically reduced to a mere 10.5 kilometres, taking only 15 minutes to traverse.
This bridge also connects the Bagan Datuk region to major towns such as Lumut, Manjung, Perak Tengah, and Hilir Perak.
Additionally, road users from the Klang Valley area heading north towards Perak, especially via the West Coast Expressway (WCE), will experience significant time savings.
It is worth noting that the Sultan Nazrin Shah Bridge has earned a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (2023) as the Longest Elevated Pile Slab Carriageway.
