![[Concept] Map of an Undersea Tunnel & Bridge connecting Sumatra - Batam - Bintan - Singapore. How feasible do you guys think this is? 🌉🚇](https://preview.redd.it/oiw72kaxyp2h1.png?auto=webp&s=da291890510dbd1b01b809423e533a8713e7f9e3)
[Concept] Map of an Undersea Tunnel & Bridge connecting Sumatra - Batam - Bintan - Singapore. How feasible do you guys think this is? 🌉🚇
Hello fellow nyets!
I’ve been diving into some regional economic and infrastructure analysis lately, mostly looking at our own domestic projects like the High-Speed Rail (HSR) and the RTS Link and my mind wandered down south. I got curious about the logistical gaps across the strait, so I whipped up this concept map (image attached) connecting mainland Sumatra directly to Batam, Bintan, and all the way into Singapore.
Here is a breakdown of the idea from our side of the strait:
1. Batam - Bintan (Babin) Bridge
This one is actually a real, highly feasible project (around 7 km) that the Indonesian government is pushing. It’s meant to unify the free trade zones in the Riau Islands.
2. Batam - Singapore Undersea Tunnel
The Singapore Strait is too busy for a bridge; it would obstruct the vertical clearance for all the massive cargo ships and supertankers heading through the Malacca Strait toward our own Port Klang or PTP. The solution would have to be an undersea tunnel, similar to the Channel Tunnel. This would make the Batam-Singapore economic integration incredibly seamless.
3. Batam - Sumatra Bridge & Tunnel Megaproject
Now, this is the pure engineering nightmare part of the map. The distance from Batam to mainland Sumatra (Riau/Jambi) is roughly 200-250 km. The current world record for an undersea tunnel is only around 50-ish km. On top of that, the east coast of Sumatra is dominated by unstable peat swamps and thick mud.
The Pros if this actually existed:
Logistics from Sumatra could travel straight overland or by rail directly to Singapore's international ports, completely bypassing the slow RoRo ferries. It would supercharge the SIJORI (Singapore-Johor-Riau) Growth Triangle into a massive economic hub. However, for Malaysia, this could mean heavy competition, as Sumatra might bypass Penang or Johor ports entirely.
The Cons:
The cost would be astronomical, likely hundreds of billions of Ringgit. Beyond the initial build, just thinking about the scale of the Operations and Maintenance department required to keep a 200km+ tunnel running safely in a volatile, waterlogged environment is mind-boggling. Plus, ventilating a tunnel of that length is technically impossible with today's standards.
What do you guys think? Is this pure Cities: Skylines fantasy, or something that might actually happen in 50-100 years once tunnel boring technology evolves?
Would love to hear from any civil engineers, logisticians, or urban planners in the sub! TQ!