Leading bridge and engineering services specialist Mabey Bridge is installing five new Compact 200 (C200)™ bridges in Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia. This will bring the total number of bridges Mabey has installed in Malaysia over the past five years to 89.

Known for its dense rainforest, Sarawak’s landscape makes connectivity extremely difficult for local people. With an estimated 42% of the state population living in rural areas, people are greatly impacted by poor connectivity, making travel difficult and necessities expensive. Working to tackle this problem and link up communities in the area, Mabey is working with the Royal Engineers Regiment of the Malaysian Army to install the new C200s which will cross the river between Nanga Merit and Belaga.

The new 51-metre double-lane bridges are suitable for road traffic and have a side walk for pedestrians. The local military will receive the bridges on site, along with guidance on how to install the bridge from Mabey Bridge’s on-site team.

Michael Treacy, CEO of Mabey Bridge, said “Rural connectivity is a pressing issue, so we’re thrilled to be working with the Malaysian government to help improve connectivity. The compact nature of the C200 means we can provide robust, quick and easy-to-install bridges for these rural communities, making that all important connection between hard-to-reach yet economically vital areas.”

This development, and others in the Malaysian region, is part of the Rural Basic Infrastructure Development Programme set up by the Malaysian government in 2010 to fast-track and improve basic infrastructure across the country. The investments aim to ensure that all those living in rural areas are connected to the road network, and have access to housing, electricity and clean water.

The bridges, which can each be installed in 7-10 days, will enable faster, safer and more efficient access for the area’s rural communities. This in turn will reduce the cost of transporting vital goods and significantly shorten travel times for local people. In the last five years, Mabey Bridge has worked to tackle multiple connectivity problems in Malaysia, including a recent project in Miri, where five bridge river crossings were built to connect the town to its larger neighbour, Marudi.

The C200 is Mabey’s most widely used modular bridging product, with a heritage that stretches back over 70 years to the original Bailey Bridge system. The compact bridge can be used for both permanent and temporary applications, and is one of the most cost-effective and quickest solutions available. It can also carry up to two lanes of traffic, with options for both external and internal footwalks.