The Noefefan Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Noefefan, Tetum: Ponte Noefefan) is a two-lane road bridge over the Tono River in the suco of Lifau, a village in Oecusse, the East Timoreseexclave on the north western coast of Timor. As of 2017[update], when the bridge was inaugurated, it was the largest bridge ever built in East Timor. It connects several isolated communities west of the river with Pante Macassar to its east.
A World Bank report published in 2016, the year before the bridge was completed, observed that 95% of Oecusse households participating in a survey had expressed dissatisfaction with the state of roads and bridges in that region. However, the East Timorese government development program of which the bridge is a part has not been universally praised, and as of 2018, the paved road over the bridge ended abruptly at the latter's western extremity.
Location
The bridge spans the estuary of the Tono River within 0.5km (0.31mi) of the Savu Sea. Its deck carries part of the coastal road linking Pante Macassar, Oecusse's capital city, with Citrana at the exclave's far western end, and also with the road to Passabe near its southernmost point.[2][7][6]
History
Background
Lifau was the first place on the island of Timor to be settled by Europeans. Between 1512 and 1515, Portuguese traders were the first of the Europeans to arrive in the area; they landed near modern Pante Macassar, about 5km (3.1mi) to the east of Lifau. Only much later was a permanent Portuguese settlement established at Lifau.[8][9]
By the seventeenth century, Lifau had become the centre of Portuguese activities on Timor, which had extended into the interior of the island. In 1702, Lifau and its environs officially became a Portuguese colony, known as Portuguese Timor. However, Portuguese control over the territory was tenuous, particularly in the mountainous interior.[8] In 1769, the capital of Portuguese Timor was transferred from Lifau eastwards to Dili, due to frequent attacks from the local Eurasian Topass group. Most of West Timor was left to Dutch forces, who were conquering what is today Indonesia. In the 1780s, a reconciliation took place between the governor in Dili and the Topasses, who henceforth usually supported the Portuguese government.[10]
In 1859, under the Treaty of Lisbon, Portugal and the Netherlands divided the island between them. For the most part, West Timor became Dutch, with its colonial seat at Kupang. East Timor became Portuguese, with its seat in Dili. Lifau and its environs, known as Oecusse, was confirmed as a Portuguese exclave, with the Savu Sea to its north west, but otherwise surrounded by Dutch territory.[11]
In 1975, Indonesia, which had since become independent, began an invasion of Portuguese Timor.[12][13] After conquering that territory, including Oecusse, the Indonesians proceeded to occupy it until 1999, when the East Timorese voted for independence.[14] Before leaving, the Indonesian military and its allies inflicted a scorched earth policy on the territory, especially in Oecusse.[15] When East Timor became independent in 2002, the new Constitution of East Timor expressly provided, in recognition of Oecusse's very longstanding particular disadvantages, that the exclave would "...enjoy special administrative and economic treatment..." and "...be governed by a special administrative policy and economic regime".[15][16]
In 2013, the government of East Timor appointed former prime ministerMari Alkatiri to oversee the development of a special economic zone in Oecusse.[7] The following year, the National Parliament of East Timor took a further step towards complying with the government's constitutional obligations towards Oecusse, by enacting a law for the creation of an Authority of the Oecusse Special Administrative Region (Portuguese: Autoridade da Região Administrativa Especial Oé-Cusse – ARAEO), and for the designation of Oecusse as a Special Zone of Social Market Economy (Portuguese: Zona Especial de Economia Social de Mercado – ZEESM). On 23 and 24 January 2015, the central government formally handed over some of its powers to the ARAEO and the ZEESM.[17]
The Tono bridge project
As well as being an exclave subjected to traditional, centuries-old isolation, the Oecusse of the beginning of the 21st century had natural conditions hampering development. Abundant rainfall often caused floods imposing barriers to transport connections. Especially during the rainy season, the Tono River, the estuary of which reaches a long distance into Oecusse's interior, often cut off half the region from road access to Pante Macassar and Dili. In particular, the river isolated more than 3,600 families who lived in the coastal sucos of Bene-Ufe[de], Usitaco[de], Suni-Ufe[de], Taiboco[de], and part of Lifau, from basic services offered by the government in Pante Macassar.[6][15][18]
The government needed to come up with practical solutions for such naturally caused problems.[15] As early as 2013, Alkatiri was already publicising a fully formed plan for the development of Oecusse. The plan comprised a substantial number of proposed buildings and capital investments, including a 380m (1,250ft) bridge over the Tono River on the coastal road between Pante Macassar and Citrana.[7]
In October 2014, the Ministry of Public Works appointed PT Adhi Karya (Persero), Tbk[id] to construct the proposed bridge, at a contract value of US$17,218,000.[19][20] On 5 November 2014, Alkatiri, in his capacity as president of ARAEO, together with the Minister of Public Works, Gastão de Sousa[de], presided over ground-breaking ceremonies for the construction of several of the development projects, including the bridge.[21] The actual construction of the bridge did not begin until April 2015, five months later than planned.[3] Initially, the bridge was planned to be a truss bridge.[6] However, at the suggestion of Waagner Biro Indonesia, the company engaged by Adhi Karya to manufacture the bridge's components, the design was modified to transform the planned bridge into a tied-arch structure.[6] An engineering geology study carried out for the construction of the bridge concluded that an arch bridge in the area would have a low level of technical risks,[22] and the bridge ended up being built as a tied-arch bridge.[6][23]
On 10 June 2017, the bridge was inaugurated by the president of East Timor, Francisco Guterres, with assistance from Alkatiri.[2][3] The total cost of the bridge to completion was said to have been US$17 million.[3][15] During his speech at the inauguration ceremony, the president described the bridge as "...undoubtedly, a solid and singularly beautiful basic infrastructure..." and as "...high-quality work [that] embellishes the landscape..."[15] He also commented:
"The Noefefan Bridge is the result of a new philosophy. [It] is an integral part of a new development model ... It is in [Oecusse] that we have been focussing tremendous efforts for the construction of basic infrastructure, necessary to attract national and foreign investors, create jobs, and accelerate sustainable economic growth, while simultaneously ensuring social development."[15][18]
As was acknowledged by the ZEESM when it announced that the bridge had been inaugurated,[2] a World Bank report published in 2016 had observed that 95% of Oecusse households participating in a survey had expressed dissatisfaction with the state of roads and bridges in that region.[24] However, the ZEESM development program of which the bridge is a part has not been universally praised. One commentator, Laura S. Meitzner Yoder, observed in 2016 that many Oecusse residents had initially been excited and positive about the program, but had later become disillusioned, angry and fearful as its implementation had begun in earnest.[25] In 2018, two other commentators, Jerry Courvisanos and Matias Boavida, noted that many public sector works, including the bridge, were being built in Oecusse in a very impressive manner, but went on to comment there had been "...no coordination from the foundation of this project that links the private sector to all that is being built".[26]
As of 2018, when Australian author Lisa Palmer visited the bridge, it was, as she later wrote, a "...coveted symbol of the incoming 'light' of modernity".[27] She stated she had been told that the bridge was "...where the nightlife is really found...", and she had been expecting riverside bars or eateries.[27] During her visit, however, the 'nightlife' was confined to a small group of truck drivers and young motorcyclists taking selfies with the structure of the bridge in the background. Palmer also observed that the paved road over the bridge ended abruptly at the latter's western extremity, and that the dirt road following the coastline from there to the border with Indonesia was "...a long and bumpy slog..."[27]
By 2019, the RAEOA had initiated three further road transport projects, including Package 5, a program for a complex 35km (22mi) long National Road linking the Noefefan Bridge with Citrana, passing through diverse geological landscapes, and requiring the construction of more than 20 road bridges. In July 2019, the RAEOA called for expressions of interest for prequalification of companies interested in providing supervisory engineering services for the three projects.[28]
Description
The Noefefan Bridge is a tied-arch structure weighing approximately 2,000t (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons). It consists of three arches, each 120m-long (390ft).[18] Upon its completion and inauguration in 2017, it was expected to last 100 years. At 380m-long (1,250ft), 6m-wide (20ft) and 20m-high (66ft), it was also the largest bridge ever built in East Timor.[2][3][15]
The bridge connects Citrana, Passabe and other isolated communities west of the Tono River with Pante Macassar to its east. It provides those communities with permanent access to markets, the Dili–Pante Macassar ferry and the Oecusse Airport, even during the rainy season (November to April). It also gives approximately 3,000 farmers, who cultivate more than 1,000ha (2,500 acres) of rice fields near the Tono River, superior access to the region's port at Pante Macassar.[18] Equally, it improves the ability of government agencies to deliver essential services to the formerly isolated communities, including health services, education, water supply and sanitation, and electricity distribution.[2]
East Timor is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania known as Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The country comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor and the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco. The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of Australoid and Melanesian peoples. The Portuguese began to trade with Timor by the early 16th century and colonised it throughout the mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty for which Portugal ceded the western half of the island. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor during World War II, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese surrender.
Politics of East Timor takes place in a framework of a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of East Timor is the head of government and the President of East Timor exercises the functions of head of state. East Timor has a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the president and the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The East Timorese constitution was modelled on that of Portugal, though the president is less powerful than the Portuguese counterpart. The country is still in the process of building its administration and governmental institutions. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated East Timor a "flawed democracy" in 2019.
In East Timor, transportation is reduced due to the nation's poverty, poor transportation infrastructure, and sparse communications networks. The general condition of the roads is inadequate, and telephone and Internet capabilities are still limited, especially in the countryside. The country has six airports, one of which has commercial and international flights. There are no railroads in East Timor.
East Timor was a de facto province of Indonesia that existed between 1967 and 1999 during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Its territory corresponded to the previous Portuguese Timor and to the present-day independent country of Timor-Leste.
Pante Macassar is a city in the Pante Macassar administrative post on the north coast of East Timor, 152 kilometres or 94 miles to the west of Dili, the nation's capital. It has a population of 4,730. It is the capital of the Oecusse exclave.
Dili Airport, officially Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, and formerly Comoro Airport, is an international airport serving Dili, the capital city of East Timor. Since 2002, the airport has been named after Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (1946–1978), an East Timorese politician and national hero.
Oecusse Airport, officially Oecusse Route of the Sandalwood International Airport, and formerly Palaban Airport, is an international airport serving Pante Macassar, the capital city of the Oecusse Special Administrative Region of East Timor.
The Tono River is the principal river of Oecusse, an exclave of East Timor. The river and its major tributaries flow generally north, through the centre of the exclave, into the Savu Sea, reaching the sea near Lifau. Its alluvial flood plain in Pante Macassar administrative post is the main rice-producing place in Oecusse.
Lifau is a village and suco in the East Timor exclave of Oecusse District. The village is located west of the mouth of the Tono River. 1,938 people live in the suco.
East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island surrounded by Indonesian West Timor. Australia is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea. The country's size is 15,007 square kilometres (5,794 sq mi). Dili is its capital.
Oecusse, also known as Oecusse-Ambeno and formerly just Ambeno, officially the Special Administrative Region Oecusse-Ambeno, is an exclave, municipality and the only Special Administrative Region (SAR) of East Timor.
Berlin Nakroma is a roll-on/roll-off passenger and cargo ferry owned and operated by the Government of East Timor since 2007. A gift to East Timor from the Federal Republic of Germany, she links Dili, capital city of East Timor, with Pante Macassar in the East Timorese exclave of Oecusse, and with Atauro Island.
Pante Macassar, officially Pante Macassar Administrative Post, is an administrative post in the Oecusse municipality and Special Administrative Region (SAR) of East Timor.
Wini is a village in the Nusa Tenggara Timur province of Indonesia. It is the capital of the North Insana subdistrict of the North Central Timor Regency. It is located on the north coast of the western part of the island of Timor, between East Timor to the east and its exclave of Oecusse to the west. A major border crossing checkpoint into East Timor's exclave of Oecussi is located here.
Sacato, sometimes spelled Sakato, is a village in East Timor. It is located in the suco of Nipane within the Pante Macassar Administrative Post in the Oecusse Special Administrative Region. It also the main border crossing between the East Timorese exclave of Oecusse and Indonesia.
Fernando Hanjam is an East Timorese politician and academic. In 2020, he served briefly as the Minister of Finance under the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak. Previously, in 2017–18, he was Minister of Education and Culture in the earlier VII Constitutional Government, led by Mari Alkatiri.
The B. J. Habibie Bridge is a two-lane road bridge in the suco of Bidau Santana, an inner suburb of Dili, capital city of East Timor. It is named after B. J. Habibie, the President of Indonesia who decided in 1999 to hold that year's referendum on whether East Timor would become independent of Indonesia.
The CPLP Bridge is a pair of two-lane road bridges in the suco of Comoro, a western suburb of Dili, capital city of East Timor.
↑ Boxer, C. R. (1947). The Topasses of Timor. Amsterdam: Indisch Instituut te Amsterdam.
↑ Pélissier, R. (1996). Timor en guerre: Le crocodile et les portugais (1847–1913)[Timor at War: The Crocodile and the Portuguese (1847–1913)] (in French). Orgeval: Pélissier. pp.274–277, 299–301.
↑ Priyambodo, R. H. (5 November 2014). "Tiga BUMN Indonesia menang tender di Timor Leste"[Three Indonesian State Companies awarded multi-million dollar projects in Oecusse]. Antara News (in Indonesian). Antara. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
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