Barelang Bridge

The cable-stayed Tengku Fisabilillah is connecting Batam Island and Tonton Island Soham Banerjee (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

There are 6 bridges that connect the islands in Kepulauan Riau, but they are far from matching–each bridge is a different type of structure.

Beginning in 1992, the 2 kilometers-worth of travel spans took their names from 15th- to 18th-century rulers of the Riau Sultanate, and are made up of a selection of engineering greatness. The longest bridge, the Tengku Fisabilillah (connects Batam and Tonton island), is a cable-stayed bridge that has 642 meters of stretch, and is by far the most popular of the bunch due to its regal appearance and size. Narasinga (Tonton-Nipah) and Sultan Zainal Abidin (Setokok-Rempang) are cantilever bridges, 320 m. and 365 m., respectively. Ali Haji (Setokok-Nipah) Bridge is a girder bridge, and stretches a good 270 meters, and Tuanku Tambusai (Rempang-Galang Bridge) is an arch bridge, 385 m. in all. The last is the Raja Kecil Bridge on Galang Island (Galang-New Galang), the smallest of the six. Although Raja Kecil Bridge is the smallest, the historical value of the island it connects is very high. Sijantung Village of Galang Island was previously used to accomodate 250,000 Vietnam refugees (1975-1996) which buildings and remains could still be seen today.

Despite the fact that each bridge has its own identity, they are seen as one, in the sense that they have brought this entire pocket of islands a way to connect their communities and improve access, and they are referred to as a whole, simply as The Barelang Bridge.