Pintasan Saloma Bridge / VERITAS Design Group

Pintasan Saloma Bridge / VERITAS Design Group

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Text description provided by the architects. The Pintasan Saloma is a pedestrian bridge opened to the public in February 2020 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This seamless link connects two prominent destinations: Kampong Bharu (New Village), the traditional Malay enclave; and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), the modern Central Business District (CBD); formerly separated by the Sungai Klang (Klang River) and the six-lane Ampang Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH).

The link, commissioned by the Kampong Bharu Development Corporation (PKB), encompassed the redevelopment of Jalan Saloma (Saloma Street), redesigned to accommodate a small plaza, wider footpaths with integrated landscape and street furniture, and a 370m elevated walkway culminated on a bridge that spans 69m across the Sungai Klang and the AKLEH.

The Pintasan Saloma lands at Kampong Bharu creating a small elevated platform that frames the scenic view of the vibrant KLCC, its Petronas Twin Towers and other major city landmarks, but also the future of Kampong Bharu.

Inspired by the Sirih Junjung, an ornamental leaf traditionally offered in Malay weddings as a symbol of unity, the Pintasan Saloma represents a ceremonial gesture that embodies the bond between both fabrics: KLCC and Kampong Bharu. Beyond the most practical and immediate effects derived from this new connection, the Pintasan Saloma aims to stimulate this part of the city, not only by making it more accessible, but, especially, by spreading the welfare of the prosperous CBD, making of this traditional enclave a more resilient place.