The Lanang Bridge, Sarawak State Route Q326, is a 1.2-km toll bridge in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. It was constructed in 2003 by a local concessionaire, Woodville Development Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Shin Yang Group, to replace the former river ferry service crossing the Batang Rajang.[1] The bridge, together with a series of states highways linking Sibu to Sarikei (Jalan Teluk Assan Q326, Jalan Tanjung Genting Q576, Jalan Kelupu Q206, Sarikei-Bintangor Highway Q345, and Sarikei-Pasi-Meradong Highway Q575), forms an alternative route for the Sarikei-Sibu section of the Pan Borneo Highway. Built at the total cost of RM 180 million, the bridge was opened to motorists on 11 April 2006.[2]
Lanang Bridge Jambatan Lanang | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 2°14′40″N 111°50′0″E / 2.24444°N 111.83333°E |
| Carries | Motor vehicles |
| Crosses | Batang Rajang, Sarawak, Malaysia |
| Locale |  Q326 Jalan Lanang Barat / Jalan Teluk Assan |
| Maintained by | Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) Woodville Development Sdn. Bhd. |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | box girder bridge |
| Total length | 1.2 km |
| History | |
| Designer | State Government of Sarawak Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) Woodville Development Sdn. Bhd. |
| Constructed by | Woodville Development Sdn. Bhd. |
| Construction start | 2003 [1] |
| Construction end | 2006 |
| Opened | 11 April 2006 |
| Location | |
 | |
Overview
The bridge is built at 6 km upstream of the Sibu town centre with dual carriageway. The bridge joins Lanang road and Paradom road across the river.[3]
Toll collection and subsequent abolishment[4]
A toll plaza was built at 435 metres away from the bridge on the side of the Paradom road. The bridge was meant for toll collection for 22 years.[3]
| Class | Type of vehicles | Rate (in Malaysian Ringgit (RM)) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorcycles | Free (starting 11 May 2011) | ||
| 2 | Cars (including taxicabs and MPVs) | |||
| 3 | Vans, minibuses, pickup trucks, SUVs and light trucks (less than 5 tonnes | |||
| 4 | Buses | |||
| 5 | Lorries (excluding trailers) | |||
| 6 | Trailers | |||
The bridge was heavily criticised by motorists, especially the residents of Sarikei and Sibu, who regularly use the toll bridge for its ridiculously expensive toll rates. For instance, cars are charged at RM3.00 per crossing, which translates to RM2.50 per kilometre. Motorcycles are also charged at RM0.50. As a result, car drivers frequently commuting from Sarikei to Sibu and vice versa may need to spend as much as RM300 monthly for the toll bridge alone.[2]
Due to the criticisms by local residents, on 2011 the federal government proposed to take over the bridge and abolish the toll collection.[4][5]
On 29 April 2015, the then-Chief Minister (nowadays Premier) of Sarawak Adenan Satem announced that the toll were completely abolished on May 25 that year, along with the other 2 toll bridges in the state.[6]
List of junctions
| Km | Exit | Interchange/Junctions | To | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sibu | East FT 1 Bintulu FT 1 MiriNorth Sibu town center South Upper Lanang Industrial Estate | 4-way signalised intersection Start/End of dual-carriageway | |||
| Q326 Lanang Bridge Start/End of bridge | |||||
 Petronas Layby |  .jpg){kind=small} Petronas   | Sarikei bound | |||
| Batang Rajang bridge Lanang Bridge 1.2 kilometres | Start/End of bridge | ||||
| Sibu Division Sibu district border | |||||
| Batang Rajang Bridge Rajang Bridge 1.2 kilometres Sibu-Sarikei division border | |||||
| Sarikei Division Meradong district border | |||||
| Batang Rajang bridge Lanang Bridge 1.2 kilometres | Start/End of bridge | ||||
| U-turn | U-turn | Sibu bound | |||
| Lanang Bridge toll plaza RM (Cash) Toll operation discontinued | |||||
| Q326 Lanang Bridge Start/End of bridge | |||||
| West Q326 Jalan Teluk Assan Bintangor Sarikei | Start/End of dual-carriageway | ||||