The Atjeh River (Dutch Atjeh-rivier) was the river of Groot-Atjeh whose valley carried the capital Koeta Radja and most of the province’s road- and tram-network, spanned by iron bridges at Glé Kambing and Lambaroh (1882), and forming with the Pidië river the watershed over which the mountain tramway was built in 1903–1908.
Roads, bridges and tramway
The great transport road to Glé Kambing, on the left bank of the Atjeh river, was wholly finished with its necessary works of art by 1882, as was the road from Aneügalong to Toengkōp; at Glé Kambing and at Lambaroh iron bridges were laid over the Atjeh river, while the smaller bridges on several roads were as much as possible replaced by iron ones, to take from the evilly disposed the opportunity of breaking the communications. Along the river’s valley ran the tram line through a fairly densely populated tract — from Koeta Radja toward Lambaroe and, after 1897, onward to Glé Kambing opposite Indrapoeri (15 km, opened November 1897) and to Seulimeum (c. 18 km, opened 1 November 1898).
The watershed
Already in 1898 Governor Van Heutsz formed the plan of carrying the line on from Seulimeum over the watershed between the valley of the Atjeh river and that of the Pidië river; a preliminary survey by the engineers showed the ground very accidented, and chief engineer A. E. Wijss roughly estimated the cost at over three million guilders. The topographic survey of 1901 was followed by the provisional design of 1902; building began on both sides in 1903, beset by the difficulties of material and labour transport in the dry, unhealthy tract and by the numerous bridges, and a limited service was instituted on 15 September 1908, joining the nets of Groot-Atjeh and the coasts over the watershed (see Atjeh Tram).
See Also
Source
Vijftig jaren economische staatkunde in Atjeh, by Joh. Langhout (The Hague: N.V. Boekhandel v/h W. P. van Stockum & Zoon, 1923), pp. 50, 134–139.