JP\/5\/TUNNEL<\/p>\n
Govt invites private investors in tunnel project<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N.
\nBandarlampung, Lampung<\/p>\n
Private parties are expected to invest in the construction
\nproject of a tunnel that will connect the major islands of Java
\nand Sumatra.<\/p>\n
\"Funding for the project will come from the government and
\nprivate parties. But several consortia from European countries
\nand China have also expressed an interest in investing in the
\nproject,\" said Harris Hasyim, head of the Lampung Development
\nPlanning Board (Bappeda Lampung).<\/p>\n
Harris said the mega project, the first ever in the country,
\nwould cost US$15 billion.<\/p>\n
\"Some domestic investors have also expressed an interest in
\nparticipating in the project,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Potential investors include state-owned oil and gas company PT
\nPertamina, state telecommunications giant PT Telkom, state gas
\ncompany PT Gas Negara, state electricity company PT PLN,
\ntelecommunications company PT Indosat, state-owned train operator
\nPT KAI and coal mining company PT Bukit Asam.<\/p>\n
The tunnel is to span 33 kilometers across the Sunda Strait
\nbetween Java and Sumatra and is located 40 meters below the
\nseabed.<\/p>\n
The construction of the tunnel aims to facilitate the smooth
\nflow of people between the two islands, which are the most
\npopulated among the islands of the vast archipelago.<\/p>\n
A feasibility study for the project is to be conducted soon,
\nand the tunnel is expected to be finished by 2015.<\/p>\n
Harris said the feasibility study alone would take two years.
\nThe study and the construction of the tunnel had to be conducted
\ncarefully, because the project was near the site of two small
\nactive volcanoes, called the Anak Gunung Krakatau, or Mt.
\nKrakatau's children.<\/p>\n
He said the tunnel would make it easier for people to travel
\nbetween Java to Sumatra. Currently, people and goods cross the
\nstrait by ferry and speedboat from Merak Port in Banten province,
\nJava, and from Lampung's Bakauheni Port.<\/p>\n
The strait can be crossed in three to four hours by ferry and
\n45 minutes by speedboats on normal seas. Speedboat operators may
\ncancel the trip if sea conditions are extremely severe.<\/p>\n
Once the tunnel is complete and operational, it will take only
\n30 minutes to cross the strait.<\/p>\n
The strait between Java and Sumatra is one of the busiest sea
\nroutes in the country. Some 13 to 20 million people cross the
\nSunda Strait each year, and this figure is expected to grow. By
\n2020, the number of cross-strait travelers is estimated to reach
\n40 million.<\/p>\n
Besides providing a smoother flow of people and goods, the
\ntunnel also aims to overcome heavy traffic at Merak and Bakauheni
\nports over the Idul Fitri Islamic holiday. \"The terrible
\ncondition has continued from year to year, and must be stopped,\"
\nsaid Harris.<\/p>\n
The tunnel will be 8.5 meters wide and 6.6 meters high, and it
\ncan accommodate 15,500 cars per day.<\/p>\n
Asrian Hendi Cahya, a Lampung University lecturer, said if the
\nproject was realized, the people of Lampung would benefit
\ngreatly. \"Lampung will become one of the country's economic
\ncenters, as more people will invest in Lampung,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp5tunnel-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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