Kota Bridge declared structurally deficient

The famous Kota Bridge in the royal town of Klang, the first and only double-decked bridge in the country, has been declared structurally deficient.

According to Klang Municipal Council (MPK) Engineering Department director Mohamad Noor Mahmud, the 500m bridge fell into disrepair about 15 years ago after the Public Works Department (PWD) handed over its maintenance to the MPK. It was then closed to traffic following the completion of the current concrete Kota Bridge that runs parallel to it.

At present, the bottom deck of the original Kota Bridge is used as a pedestrian walkway.

Not a pretty sight:Cracks have widenedwith the corrosionsetting in.

Trishaw riders and motorcyclists find it convenient as it links Jalan Tepi Sungai (Pengkalan Batu) to Jalan Pasar near the Emporium Makan. The top deck is closed to traffic as part of it was dismantled on Jan 21, 1992.

Dorman Long Engineering Ltd, the British firm that had built the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932, started work on the original Kota Bridge in 1957.

The Klang bridge was completed in 1960 and opened by the late Selangor Sultan Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in 1961 in conjunction with his coronation as the 9th Sultan of Selangor.

“Structurally deficient means that certain parts of the bridge need to be repaired or replaced. Overall inspection on the structure has to be carried out on the joints,” Mohamad said.

“Corrosion is occurring in areas designed for expansions and contraction where rain water is trapped and together with the humid conditions has caused certain parts of the steel beam to rust,’’ he said.

Yesterday, Mohamad inspected the steel beams of the bridge from a boat. He said there was no reason for those using the bridge to worry as MPK would seek the expertise of PWD bridge engineers to rectify the problem.

“We may close the bridge as a precaution and carry out the necessary checks,” Mohamad said.

He said the lay person might think that it was a small matter but, based on engineering standards, weaknesses in joints or cracks in the bridge could cause one of the steel beams to break, although it might not lead to a collapse.

According Mohamad, with right maintenance and regular change of bolts and nuts, the old icon could have its life span extended.

Easy route: Students using the Kota Bridge to return home after school while motorists use it as a convenientlink to Jalan Pasar or Jalan Tepi Sungai.

“One of the main tests to be done is to conduct measurements to ascertain the integrity of the beams and trusses to see if the bridge is strong enough,” he said.

“We need to monitor component behaviour and conduct vibration tests because the bridge parallel to it contributes a certain amount of vibration due to a high traffic volume,” he said.

According to Mohamad, the initial rehabilitation of Kota Bridge would cost about RM160,000.