The Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry has announced that six sections of the 596-kilometer Trans-Sumatra Toll Road are fully operational as of July 2023, while another seven sections of 361-kilometers were in the construction phase, according to reporting by Tempo.
“The toll road will help to reduce logistics costs and cut travel time for the distribution of goods and services between regions,” PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in Jakarta on Sunday, July 30, 2023 adding that the toll road would also encourage the growth of new economic centers, especially in areas traversed by toll roads.
One of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road sections that President Jokowi recently inaugurated and is already operating is the 16.7-kilometer Bengkulu-Taba Penanjung Toll Road, which was built with a budget of IDR 4.8 trillion, and is part of the main corridor on the 95.8-kilometer-long Bengkulu to Lubuk Linggau segment say Tempo.
Meanwhile, seven other sections that are still under construction, spanning 361-kilometers, are the 48-kilometer Indrapura-Kisaran toll road, which has a progress rate of 85.5-percent and is targeted to be completed later this year.
The 143-kilometer Kuala Tanjung-Tebing Tinggi section, with a progress rate of 84.26-percent, is also slated for completion by the end of 2023.
The 64-kilometer Indralaya-Prabumulih Simpang toll road, is targeted to be ready for operation in the near future, meanwhile, on the Pekanbaru-Padang section, there are two sections under construction; the Bangkinang-Koto Kampar section (24-kilometers) with 74.8-percent progress and the Padang-Sicincin section (37-kilometers) with 32.6-percent progress. Previously, the Pekanbaru-Bangkinang Section operated for 31-kilometers.
The next section that is still under construction is Binjai-Pangkalan Brandan, with 79.9-percent progress after the Binjai-Stabat section, which operates for 12-kilometers.
Furthermore, there is the Sigli-Banda Aceh Toll Road (74-kilometers long), which leaves two sections with 38-kilometers left under construction, namely the Blang Bintang-Baitussalam and Sigli-Seuliemum sections, with 81-percent progress, report Tempo.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Endra S. Atmawidjaja, said that the existence of this toll road is included in government investment for the long term.
“By providing toll road services, our goal is not just to build infrastructure but also open up space for prospective areas growth in the future,” he said.
Source: Tempo
