Ampera Bridge is The landmark of Palembang City which connects two regions of Palembang City (Seberang Ulu and Seberang Ilir). The bridge was planned during the era of Indonesia’s first president, who wanted a bridge that could open and be a match for London’s Tower Bridger. The funds for the construction came from Japanese war reparations, with the Fuji Car Manufacturing Co. Ltd being given responsibility for design and construction.For a few years after it was opened, the centre span could be lifted at a speed of approximately 10 metres per minute to allow ships of up to 44.5m in height to pass underneath. However, this only occurred a few times, and after 1970 it could no longer be opened. The official reason for this was that the 30 minutes needed to raise the bridge was causing unacceptable delays, and that in any case silting of the river had made it impassable for large ships. However, according to architect Wiratman, who acted as a consultant before the construction, the design of the bridge was flawed from the outset because of the soft mud on which it was built. He maintains that his concerns were ignored for political reasons, and that as the towers’ foundations shifted, the bridge deformed to the extent that it could no longer be opened. The ballast weights needed to balance the weight of the bridge were removed in 1990 to prevent possible accidents were they to fall
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