SHAH ALAM, 7 Mar: The architectural design based on a yacht and keris brought good luck to Vast Consultants Sdn Bhd when they won first prize in the design competition for the Third Klang Bridge today.
This unique design concept which will be an icon and landmark of Klang was the jury’s selection and it beat nine other local civil engineering consulting firms that also competed.
The company’s Director, Rosley Abdul Latif said that the design for the bridge was originally conceived by the cable and the famous ‘Penisi’ yacht design and it was translated into three elements of its dimensional structure.
“It took me two weeks to formulate the idea of this bridge by taking into account that Klang is a royal town and a number of other aspects such as the elements of the keris and this yacht,” he said.
His company won RM50,000 and a certificate of appreciation presented by the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
The winners were evaluated by the Technical Jury of the Public Works Department (PWD) which was chaired by the Director of Selangor PWD, Datuk Abdullah Abdul Rahman, and the Selangor State Secretary, Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi.
The competition itself was inspired by Abdul Khalid with the aim of gathering various ideas from famous and experienced civil engineering consultants to produce a sustainable and everlasting design.
According to Abdul Khalid, the 500 metre bridge will be completed within the specified period by using provisions provided through the state’s savings reserve fund amounting to RM300 million.
“After this, there will be the tender, only in June (2013) it can (take place) and it will take two to three years to finish,” he said at a press conference at the event.
Recently, Abdul Khalid officiated the Third Bridge Groundbreaking Ceremony at Jalan Tepi Sungai, Klang.
Previously, the construction of the bridge was promised by the Umno-BN Government in 2008 however, they did not fulfil this promise although a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the bridge was performed by former Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo.
The bridge, which will cross the Klang River, is important to road users, especially for Klang residents as Construction of a bridge across the Klang River is important to road users especially people in Klang for trekking unnecessary congestion in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur Klang or the Port Klang.