TRANS-JAVA TOLL ROADS TO BE CONNECTED IN THREE YEARS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 13 (Antara) - The government is poised to connect its ambitious Trans-Java toll roads, which stretch 806 kilometers (km) from Cikampek in West Java to Probolinggo in East Java, by 2018.          Two newly completed sections of the Trans-Java turnpikes will become operational this week, after President Joko Widodo inaugurated the 13.61 km Gempol-Pandaan section in East Java on Friday and the 116.7 km Cikampek-Palimanan (Cikapali) section in West Java on Saturday.          "This morning, they assured me that they were ready to ensure that all toll roads in Java will be connected by 2018," Jokowi, as the President is intimately called, stated when opening the Gempol-Pandaan toll road in East Java.          He said that the government is optimistic that toll roads across Java will be connected by 2018, following the completion of two sections of its toll road development projects this month.            Jokowi noted that he had coordinated with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, as well as the State Enterprises Ministry, to ensure that they meet the target.          He added that he was glad that the projects, which involve several companies, were completed. Among these companies, the state and regional governments are shareholders of the firm that operates the road.          "It is hoped that the new road will increase people's productivity and boost economic growth," he remarked.          Built at a cost of Rp1.472 trillion, the Gempol-Pandaan told road is operated by PT Jasamarga Pandaan, which has a concession right for 37 years, which began on October 3, 2012.          The other section of the Trans-Java toll road is the Cikampek-Palimanan (Cikapali) section in West Java, which was inaugurated by the President on Saturday.          The 116.7-kilometer-long Cikapali toll road in Indramayu district and Cirebon municipality will begin operating before the fasting month, which begins on June 18.          Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the inauguration of the Cikapali turnpike project was moved forward from the original June 15, 2015 schedule.          "The inauguration was expedited because the President wants to concentrate on his activities in Jakarta next week," Hadimuljono said on Saturday.          Work on the Cikapali told road project began with the laying of its corner stone by then-Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto in December 2011.          The development of the toll road was carried out by PT Lintas Marga Sedaya, with 55 percent owned by PLUS Expressways Berhard and 45 percent by PT Baskhara Utama Sedaya, with a total investment of Rp12.56 trillion and a concession period of 35 years.          Construction work was performed by the consortium of PT Karabha Griyamandiri-PT Nusa Raya Cipta Joint Operation.          The toll road is part of the Trans-Java Toll Road project which will connect Merak in Banten, West Java, and Banyuwangi in East Java.          Compared with Java's Pantura northern highway lane, the Cikapali toll road is 40 km shorter and can cut travel times by one-and-a half to two hours.          Further, according to  Basuki Hadimuljono, the Cikapali toll road will reduce traffic congestion along the main traffic roads in Java's northern coastal areas (Pantura) by some 40 percent.          With the inauguration of the two sections, the Gempol-Pandaan and the Cikapali, the government is confident that the 806 km Trans-Java turnpikes will be operational by 2018. These toll roads will connect the provinces of West Java, Central Java and East Java.          "The main priority of the Trans-Java toll roads will be given to the Jakarta - Surabaya sections," Achmad Gani Ghazali, the head of the Toll Road Regulator Agency (BPJT) of the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, was quoted by the Katadata online media as saying recently.          He added that the Trans-Java toll roads will connect Merak in the western tip of Java and Banyuwangi in the eastern part of the Island, though the government has divided the construction works into two phases.          The first phase is the work on the sections that connect Jakarta and Surabaya, while the second phase is the work on sections which connect Merak with Banyuwangi. The second phase will be completed after the first phase has been finished.          During the first phase, some sections of the Trans-Java toll roads have been opened, but not all of them have been connected to each other. Among those already connected are the sections that connect Marak, Jakarta, and Cikampek with Palimanan, Kanci and Pejagan.          The first phase construction gives priority to nine sections stretching 615 kilometers, at a cost of Rp51.41 trillion. Those sections are Cikampek-Palimanan, Pejagan-Pemalang, Pemalang-Batang, Batang-Semarang, Semarang-Solo, Solo-Ngawi, Ngawi-Kertosono, Mojokerto-Jombang-Kertosono, and Mojokerto-Surabaya.          State-owned road construction firm PT Jasa Marga, which is building some parts of the projects, is also convinced the Trans-Java toll roads will be connected by 2018. Most of the projects under PT Jasa Marga have been undergoing various stages of construction.          Jasa Marga President Director Adityawarman said two sections of its assigned roads would begin construction early next month, namely the Solo-Ngawi and the Ngawi-Kertosono sections. The company has even set a target to finish the two sections in 2017, much earlier than the government's target of 2018.          Currently, Jasa Marga is continuing to clear land for some parts of its projects, and has opened some 80 percent of the land needed for the two road sections.          "We  believe that this year we will have cleared 100 percent of the land," remarked Adityawarman.          Regarding land clearance for the Trans-Java turnpikes, President Jokowi, when inaugurating the Gempol-Pandaan section, stated that land clearance was one of the obstacles slowing the development of the toll roads.          "However, following the issuance of Law Number 2 of 2012 on land acquisition for the development of public facilities, the construction of toll roads will no longer take much time," he pointed out.          He reiterated that the regulation for the development of toll roads could be implemented without the need to wait for the settlement of land clearance, or until 80 percent of the land had been acquired. ***3*** (T.A014/INE) (T.A014/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 13-06-2015 13:59:1