Merdeka Bridge, Malaysia

This article is about a bridge in Malaysia. For the bridge with the same name in Singapore, see Merdeka Bridge, Singapore. For other uses, see Merdeka Bridge (disambiguation).

Merdeka Bridge Jambatan Merdeka
Coordinates	5°33′49″N100°25′40″E / 5.563703°N 100.427852°E / 5.563703; 100.427852
Carries	Motor vehicles, Pedestrians
Crosses	Muda River
Locale	FT 1 Jalan Butterworth-Sungai Petani
Named for	Malayan Independence
Maintained by	Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR) Kuala Muda and Seberang Perai
Characteristics
Design	Twin-span tied arch bridge
Total length	--
Width	--
Longest span	--
No. of spans	3
Piers in water	2
Clearance above	5.0 m (16.4 ft)
History
Designer	Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR)
Constructed by	Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR)
Construction cost	700,000 Malaya and British Borneo dollars
Opened	6 April 1956
Location

Merdeka Bridge (Malay: Jambatan Merdeka) is a major bridge in Malaysia. It is situated in Jalan Butterworth-Sungai Petani (Federal Route FT 1) at the Penang-Kedah Border on Muda River. ^[1]

Etymology

The word Merdeka means "independence" in Malay. The bridge was named by Minister of Works and Communications Sardon Jubir to commemorate the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957. ^[2]

History

Merdeka Bridge was constructed between 1955 and 1956. The bridge was officially opened by Tunku Abdul Rahman in 6 April 1956. ^[3] The bridge was initially a 2-lane single carriageway bridge before being duplicated on another side for Penang-bound traffic to increase traffic capacity. ^[1]

Features

Merdeka Bridge is a set of twin concrete tied arch bridges. Each bridge contains two motor vehicle drive lanes. The older bridge have two pedestrian walkways while the newer bridge only have one.

The bridge seen from the road on the Penang side.

References

1. "Kedah's Merdeka Bridge: Scene of battles lost and won". Free Malaysia Today. 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
2. Kapal Layar (17 July 1956). "It should be Titi Merdeka". The Straits Times . p. 6. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
3. "'Secret weapon' against Reds". The Straits Times . 7 April 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 10 March 2025.