Bridges That Transformed Bintulu: From a Quiet River Town to an Industrial Powerhouse

How Bintulu’s Bridges Shaped Its Growth—From Timber Boom to LNG Hub, and the Cost of Rapid Development

Bintulu’s newest landmark—a bridge spanning the river that has long defined the town, once known as the Bintulu River before being renamed Kemena during British rule.

For centuries, the Bintulu River—renamed Kemena during British rule—was the town’s lifeline. Its waters carried fishermen to sea, floated rafts of timber downstream, and separated communities that relied on boats to cross. Life moved with the river’s rhythm—until steel and concrete changed everything.

On December 13, 1983, the first bridge across the Kemena opened, about a mile downstream from the Segaan River. It was more than just a road. It was a turning point. For the first time, Bintulu was connected by land to Kuching, the state capital 600 kilometers southwest.

A Town Transformed

For generations, Marzuki, hailed from Kampung Sebuan, fished along the riverbanks, casting nets at dawn and selling their catch at the town’s modest market. At first, the bridge seemed like progress. He watched as the first cars rolled across, their engines drowning out the soft sounds of the waves. But change came quickly.

“They built factories where we used to fish,” he recalled. “The water changed. The fish disappeared.”

The Kemena Industrial Estate rose swiftly, fueled by an insatiable global demand for timber. Bintulu’s hinterland—3.4 million hectares of dense rainforest—held some of the world’s most valuable hardwoods. By 1984, the region produced 2.8 million cubic meters of logs, a staggering 25% of Sarawak’s total timber output. Logging companies thrived. Barges carried timber downriver to new processing mills. What was once a sleepy river town became an industrial powerhouse.

But the timber boom didn’t last. When it faded, another took its place. Bintulu became the largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Malaysia, fueling another era of economic growth. Today, the town has transformed into Sarawak’s fourth-largest city, after Kuching, Miri, and Sibu.

Yet, prosperity came at a cost.

The Cost of Growth

Not everyone benefited equally. Thousands of workers from rural districts—some from as far as Sri Aman and Lawas—flocked to Bintulu, drawn by jobs in the expanding industrial sector. The sudden influx overwhelmed the city’s infrastructure, triggering an acute housing crisis.

With nowhere to live, many resorted to building makeshift homes on any available land, forming squatter settlements at the city’s edges.

“The houses here are the most expensive in Sarawak,” a frustrated resident wrote on social media. “Living in Bintulu is one of the costliest places in Malaysia.”

A friend, still saving for a home, hoped he would be selected for the next round of affordable housing project in the city. In the meantime, his family had no choice but to stay in a squatter settlement.

“As a laborer, my income is barely enough,” he admitted. “I work a second job, but I still can’t afford a terrace house.”

He had dreamed of owning one since moving to Bintulu from Betong a decade ago. But with four-bedroom, double-story terrace houses priced at RM600,000, homeownership remained out of reach for many.

The first bridge across the Bintulu River, later renamed Kemena, was officially opened on December 13, 1983. Back then, the area was surrounded by lush greenery, where Marzuki once cast his fishing nets at dawn. Today, that landscape is gone—replaced by factories, roads, and an ever-expanding city.

The Next Leap Forward

Four decades after its first bridge reshaped the town, Bintulu has taken another leap forward. The Bintulu-Jepak Bridge, completed in 2024, stretches 1.2 kilometers across the Kemena River, featuring a striking 494-meter cable-stayed section. Built at a cost of RM466.7 million, it connects the city’s industrial core to the rapidly expanding suburb of Jepak, promising a new era of growth and connectivity.

Government leaders have hailed the bridge as a milestone in Sarawak’s infrastructure development. Dr. Cassidy Morris, director of JKR Sarawak, described it as a testament to modern engineering, designed to enhance mobility and spur economic expansion.

“The bridge features a four-lane dual carriageway, with a 267.6-meter main span, and is complemented by a 3.25-kilometer access road linking key routes such as Jalan Ahmad Zaidi, Jalan Tun Razak, and Jalan Abang Galau,” he explained.

More than just a feat of engineering, the Bintulu-Jepak Bridge is a lifeline for the city. By cutting travel time between Bintulu Airport and the city center to just 6.4 kilometers, it improves daily commutes and strengthens ties between economic zones like Samalaju Industrial Park and Mukah Smart City.

With its completion, the bridge does more than span a river—it connects past and future, industry and opportunity, reinforcing Bintulu’s position as a vital economic hub in Sarawak.

A Universal Story

Bridges are more than infrastructure. They shape economies, connect communities, and symbolize ambition. From the Brooklyn Bridge to the Golden Gate, they have redefined cities and reshaped lives.

In Bintulu, bridges have brought opportunity—but also displacement. Growth—but also loss.

The Bintulu-Jepak Bridge is not the longest cable-stayed bridge in Borneo—that title will go to the Sejingkat Bridge when completed—but it may be one of the most consequential for the people of Bintulu.

As the Kemena River flows beneath its towering cables, one question remains: Will this bridge bring prosperity for all, or just another chapter of change for those left behind?