RRI.CO.ID, Bireuen – Kuta Blang Bridge in Bireuen Regency, Aceh, is located on one of the main roads in Sumatra, but was damaged by Cyclone Senyar late last year. However, it is now being rebuilt with support from the Indonesian government.

The construction attracted attention when Indonesia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, directly monitored its progress. Tito said the bridge’s construction over the Krueng Tingkeum river has reached 18 percent completion.

"We are pleased to see that construction has begun and has reached 18 percent," he said in a video release published on Sunday, 22 February 2026.

Tito, who also serves as Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra, praised the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works, which is rebuilding the bridge. He said that – as suggested by the Ministry of Public Works, Dody Anggodo, who is also at the site – the construction is targeted for completion in July.

“Insha Allah (God willing), it will be completed in July. So this is good news for the people of Aceh,” he said.

The Kuta Blang Bridge is part of the Trans-Sumatra Eastern Highway, a road that connects cities from the northern tip to the southern tip of Sumatra Island, including the two largest cities in Sumatra, Medan and Palembang. The bridge is located between Medan, Indonesia's largest city outside Java, and the Acehnese capital of Banda Aceh.

As the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road is yet to reach Bireuen Regency, the bridge remains critical to people and goods transportation in the province and the island. The nearest tip of one of the toll road sections, Sigli-Banda Aceh Toll Road, is located approximately 60 kilometers from the regency's border.

Cyclone Senyar hit the northern provinces of Sumatra, including Aceh, causing hundreds of fatalities. After the cyclone, the Indonesian Army has built a Bailey bridge, which is being used as a temporary crossing.