The bridges of the royal town of Klang, each constructed over the river of the same name, have played important roles in serving the evolving needs of its residents from the 1950s until today.
Kota Bridge
The Kota Bridge was built when the economy was beginning to boom in the 1950s, and there was no safe bridge in Klang at that time, says Faisal Surani, 54, curator with the Klang Municipal Council.
The former teacher was also honorary secretary of the Malaysian Historical Society (Selangor Chapter) once.
“After the second world war, the British administration wanted to construct a secure bridge to connect the northern part of Klang with the southern part, in addition to a route to Port Klang,” he adds.
The Kota Bridge replaced two pontoon or floating bridges constructed by the British – the Madras Bailey Bridge and the Sydney Bailey Bridge – which could only support a maximum weight of 12 tonnes and 20 tonnes, respectively.
The construction of the Kota Bridge began in June 1957. It was built by Dorman Long (Bridge and Engineering) Ltd while piling works were carried out by Messrs Gammon (Malaya) Ltd.
Faisal says the “fettucine reinforced steel truss girder bridge” was the first double-deck bridge in Malaya and was one of the largest engineering projects then.
“There are almost 30 blueprints of the project, and it is said that some of them were done on canvas, which are still kept by the British,” says Faisal, who hopes that these blueprints can be brought back to Malaysia as they are an important part of Klang’s history.
The Kota Bridge was opened on June 24, 1959, by Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, the Sultan of Selangor at the time. After opening the bridge, His Royal Highness drove from one end to the other in his yellow Rolls Royce car.
Interestingly, although the bridge was initially named the Alam Shah Bridge, it was changed just two weeks before its opening. This was due to the proximity of the bridge to the Bukit Kota Palace, which was situated close to the present site of the Klang Municipal Council.
Musaeddin Bridge
Faisal says that in the 1970s, the number of vehicles on the road increased as more people could afford to buy cars.
“Hence, a new bridge was needed. However, the challenge was to find a suitable site to construct it,” he adds.
The new bridge, named Musaeddin, was constructed at the site of the Belfield Bridge, the first road bridge across the Klang River.
The Musaeddin Bridge is also known as the Tengku Kelana Bridge as it connects the northern part of Klang to the south at Jalan Tengku Kelana, which is also known as Klang’s “Little India” due to the large number of Indian businesses in the area. This bridge is still in use today.
New Kota Bridge
Faisal says that as traffic continued to increase, a new Kota Bridge had to be constructed as the old one was only a single-lane dual carriageway.
This new and wider concrete Kota Bridge was built alongside the old one. Unfortunately, the north end of the old bridge had to be removed to complete the construction of the new bridge.
After the new Kota Bridge was opened in 1992, the upper deck of the old Kota Bridge was closed to traffic while the lower was maintained for the use of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Raja Muda Nala Bridge
In the 2000s, Klang experienced even more rapid development, and a new bridge was needed to reduce traffic congestion.
Construction of the new bridge, which began in July 2014, was aimed at reducing the traffic load on the existing bridges in the town centre by diverting traffic to less congested routes, explains Faisal.
This new bridge was named the Raja Muda Nala Bridge after Raja Muda Nala, son of the first Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salehuddin Shah. Also known as Klang’s Third Bridge, it connects the northern and southern parts of the town through Jalan Goh Hock Huat and Jalan Sungai Bertih, respectively.
The Raja Muda Nala Bridge was officially opened on Nov 19, 2017, by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
Rich history of the old Kota Bridge
Faisal says that when something new is introduced, it doesn’t mean one should forget the past.
“I believe that the construction of the newer bridges only highlights the rich history of the old Kota Bridge. There are not many bridges in Malaysia with such a unique story,” he says.
Faisal, whose family history in Klang dates back 12 generations, has fond memories of the old Kota Bridge.
“When I was growing up, I used to cycle and walk on the lower deck of the bridge. A lot of people would be travelling on the bridge, and it was always an interesting journey for me.
“We should appreciate the historical value of the old Kota Bridge because, if we don’t, our future generations will not be aware of its unique story.
“That’s why I’m glad that the old Kota Bridge has qualified to be gazetted as a heritage site, along with the Klang District Library Building. Someday, I hope to see the old bridge return to its former glory.”