Introduction and brief history of Dambai Bridge from memory

The old Dambai Bridge at Penampang was built about 50 years ago, I cannot remember the exact year because I was still a little kampung kid then.

Initially it was just a single lane wooden bridge built at a low level, at about half the depth of the river. Hence every time there was a small flood, the bridge cannot be used. Sometimes the bank of the river got washed away and the wooden bridge seemed to be standing by itself in the middle of the river. Sadly I did not even have a black & white camera then otherwise those photos would be a very precious gem for blogging, and would command a high price from collectors.

Because of this flooding problem which occurred at an average of twice a year, the Public Works Department then constructed a single lane steel and concrete bridge at a level well above the highest recorded flood level. However a single lane bridge became a bottleneck because traffic from both sides of the road had to take turns to cross the bridge. An accident occurred where two army personnel lost their lives when their car plunged into the river at the downstream side of the bridge. According to witnesses, they were driving rather too fast from Lok Kawi heading for Jesselton ( as Kota Kinabalu was then known) at around 11pm and could not stop in time before the bridge to make way for another vehicle already crossing the bridge. By avoiding a head-on collision with the other vehicle just about to exit the single lane bridge, their car swerved to the left instead and down to the river bank.

Soon PWD constructed another lane for the bridge also to cater for a six inch water supply pipes and pedestrian lanes on both sides. The bridge remain that way until October 2013 when contractors started mobilising for earth works and machinery for construction of "bored piles" foundations for another 2 lane bridge.

I am starting this blog because after 50 years and now that I am already a pensioner, only then a new steel and concrete bridge is going to be built starting last month to upgrade the existing bridge from two lanes to 4 lanes to cater for the proposed upgrading of the old Penampang-Papar road into a 4 lane highway. The new bridge is going to be constructed at the downstream side of the existing bridge because the other side is occupied by two steel cable bridges belonging to SESB and Telekoms.

 

Existing Dambai Bridge and the Project Site at the downstream side

 

 

Telecoms and electric cable bridges at the upstream side, and another truss bridge for a 1 m diameter water pipeline

 

Potholes on the existing bridge

 

Cracks in the middle of the existing bridge. I believe this is a non-structural crack but just the premix reflecting the gap between two single lane bridges that was constructed side by side

 

 

 

And this is the relevant youtube video.