The two countries have squabbled for years over a variety of issues, but while many other bilateral feuds have been settled amid thawing relations in the past year or so, the bridge had remained a thorny topic.

"In principle they are agreeable to see how best both parties can construct a straight bridge," Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted by the official Bernama news agency as saying of Singapore.

"It looks very positive and it won't take very long," he said.

He said that the date for the two to reach a final agreement on other outstanding disputes was also "getting nearer".

"In principle, there have been several agreements achieved. Now we need to go into the details and make the agreements final," he said.

In 2000, when Singapore rejected Malaysia's proposal to jointly build a new bridge to replace an existing ageing causeway, former premier Mahathir Mohamad came up with the idea of what became known as "the crooked half-bridge".

The 1.45 kilometre (0.9 mile) half-bridge would carry an eight-lane highway some 25 metres (82 feet) above the strait before curving and descending gently to link up with the causeway from Singapore at the border between the two countries.

Malaysia then shelved the idea in favour of a bridge that may halt abruptly in mid-strait while waiting for Singapore to build its half.

The Malaysian government caused a stir in January by announcing it was going ahead with its half of the bridge, at a cost of 620 million ringgit ($167 million) even though Singapore had not agreed to build its portion.

Since then, both sides have said they want to speed up talks to resolve the issue.

There is already a modern bridge bypassing urban centers linking the two countries. But the 80-year-old 1050-metre (1150-yard) causeway route, which leads directly into Malaysia's Johor Bahru city, is still favoured by many motorists.

Other outstanding disputes between the neighbours include the price of water -- which Malaysia supplies to resource-scarce Singapore; Singapore's military access to Malaysian airspace; the future of Malaysian-owned railway land inside Singapore and rival claims to a rocky islet.

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