{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1687088,
        "msgid": "minister-of-public-works-raises-standards-for-national-roads-to-protect-motorcyclists-from-deadly-traps-1776603049",
        "date": "2026-04-19 18:33:57",
        "title": "Minister of Public Works Raises Standards for National Roads to Protect Motorcyclists from Deadly Traps",
        "author": "Hilda B Alexander",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Infrastructure",
        "summary": "Indonesia's Minister of Public Works is introducing new, more inclusive standards for national roads to enhance safety for motorcyclists, shifting focus from car-centric infrastructure to addressing hazards like wide expansion joints on bridges that pose significant risks to two-wheeled vehicles. Field evaluations have identified nearly 30,000 potholes and damages along Java's North Coast route, with repair progress at 82%, emphasising not just filling holes but ensuring smooth bridge connections to prevent accidents. This initiative aims to eliminate extreme jolts and slippage risks, while addressing challenges from overloaded vehicles and extreme weather that degrade bridge components.",
        "content": "<p>Riding safety on national roads will be designed with new, more\ninclusive standards. The focus of infrastructure development, which has\nso far been dominated by four-wheeled vehicle orientation, will be\nshifted. Priority is redirected to the safety aspects of two-wheeled\nriders through an overhaul of bridge technical standards, particularly\non the expansion joint components. Field evaluations show that many\nbridge joints have gaps that are too wide, which technically pose a life\nthreat to motorcyclists. The expansion joint is a crucial element that\nallows the bridge structure to move dynamically in response to\ntemperature changes. However, neglect of damage to this component\ncreates a \u201ctrap\u201d for motorcycle tyres, which have a thinner profile\ncompared to cars. Based on the latest monitoring data, there are at\nleast nearly 30,000 points of potholes and damage along the Java North\nCoast route, from West Java, Central Java, to East Java. Repair efforts\nhave been accelerated, and the current progress stands at 82 percent.\nThe main focus of the repairs is not only to fill potholes but to ensure\nthe flatness of the surface at every bridge joint. \u201cWhat annoys me is\nthe bridges. Their expansion joints are partly already wide. It might\njust be discomfort for cars, but for motorcycles, it\u2019s dangerous; they\ncan fall, they can have accidents. I\u2019ve already asked the road offices\nto focus on this matter,\u201d said Dody in response to Kompas.com on Friday\n(17\/4\/2026). The concrete step taken by the ministry is to raise the\nstandard of joint density. The aim is to eliminate extreme shocks or the\nrisk of slipping on two wheels. Bridge resilience faces dual challenges:\nexcessive load from Over Dimension Over Load (ODOL) vehicles and extreme\nweather. When the bridge structure is continuously hit by loads beyond\ncapacity, the flexible components at the joints lose their\nelasticity.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-of-public-works-raises-standards-for-national-roads-to-protect-motorcyclists-from-deadly-traps-1776603049",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}