The construction of Youtefa Bridge is part of President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi’s) commitment to expediting infrastructure development in Papua Province, Deputy Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Wempi Wetipo stated.

Hence, Wetipo urged the people at large, especially those residing in Jayapura, the capital city of Papua, to care for this long bridge in the province, he told journalists while observing this bridge scheduled for inauguration in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday.

"Please take care of this bridge. Do not vandalize it again. This is evidence of a president's commitment to us," he noted, adding that President Jokowi truly cared for the rapid development of infrastructure facilities in Papua.

President Jokowi always demonstrated full commitment to developing Papua. Hence, the people of Papua should laud him by maintaining and caring for facilities, including the bridge, that his administration has built, he stated.

Wetipo noted that President Jokowi's focus on Papua was also apparent from the fact that he and other native Papuans were appointed as his cabinet members.

Some Rp943.6 billion was spent to construct this 732-meter-long Youtefa Bridge.

A consortium of state construction companies -- PT PP, PT Hutama Karya, and PT Nindya Karya -- constructed the bridge over Youtefa Bay to link Jayapura and Muara Tami District in Papua and Skouw District of the neighboring country Papua New Guinea.

In April 2018, President Jokowi had reviewed the progress in its construction during which he was optimistic that the long bridge would give rise to new economic centers in Jayapura and the nearby areas.

The project, the construction for which began in 2015, is already 80 percent complete. It will cut short the time required to reach Skouw border from Jayapura, from 2.5 hours to 60 minutes.

Papua and West Papua have come under the radar of both the Indonesian and foreign media after a spate of violence broke out in several parts of these two Indonesian provinces in August and September 2019.  (ANTARA)