New Hankam-Cikunir route eases traffic<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Suparjo, a resident of a housing complex in Lebak Bulus, South
\nJakarta, is thankful that during this year's rush to get out of
\ntown for the Idul Fitri holiday, the new Hankam-Cikunir toll road
\nwill let him and his family reach the Cikampek expressway in less
\nthan 30 minutes.<\/p>\n
\"Thank God, the route has opened. It saves us a lot of gas and
\ntime. It used to take over an hour just to reach the Cikampek
\ntoll road. And during mudik, I think it used to take us over two
\nhours,\" he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday on his way to
\nPurwokerto, Central Java, with his family.<\/p>\n
The new route opened on Saturday, just in time for the rush of
\npeople leaving town for the holiday.<\/p>\n
Suparjo was just one of thousands of travelers grateful for
\nthe opening of the Hankam-Cikunir toll road, which stretches from
\nCilangkap in East Jakarta to Jatiasih in Bekasi, West Java.<\/p>\n
The new toll road, which currently is open only to those
\npeople traveling from Cilangkap to Cikampek, but not in the other
\ndirection, will allow motorists from South Jakarta, including
\nBintaro and Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) in Tangerang, to avoid the
\nCawang intersection, which is notorious for its traffic jams.<\/p>\n
Previously, travelers from South Jakarta, Bintaro and BSD had
\nto pass through Cawang in East Jakarta to enter the Cikampek toll
\nroad. From Pondok Indah, for instance, motorists would require
\nabout 30 minutes to reach the Taman Mini tollgate, and then
\nanother 30 minutes to reach the Halim Perdana Kusuma route before
\narriving at the Pondok Gede Timur tollgate.<\/p>\n
PT Jasa Marga's head of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, A.
\nTito Karim, however, acknowledged the opening of the Hankam-
\nCikunir route was temporary as parts of the road still required
\nwork.<\/p>\n
\"We opened the route to ease traffic at Cawang during the
\nmudik season. After that we will close it again in order to
\ncontinue our work,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tito said that through the second day of Idul Fitri, the
\nHankam-Cikunir toll road, which is part of the Jakarta Outer Ring
\nRoad, would be a one-way route serving motorists from the
\nJagorawi and Pondok Indah toll roads traveling to Cikampek.<\/p>\n
After the second day of Idul Fitri until Nov. 7, the road will
\nbe a one-way route serving motorists from Cikampek traveling to
\nBogor or Pondok Indah.<\/p>\n
Tito said PT Jasa Marga would not collect tolls on the route
\nduring this temporary opening, and urged motorists to drive with
\ncaution because work was still being done on several parts of the
\nroad.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the police said that motorcycles were using the
\nroute but officers were powerless to stop them.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot do anything because the route is not fully a toll
\nroad yet. For now, all we can do is watch them and try and
\nprevent any accidents,\" Brig. Suparman told the Post.<\/p>\n
Motorcycles are illegal on all toll roads.<\/p>\n
The 8.2-kilometer Hankam-Cikunir toll road has faced numerous
\ndifficulties since work began on it in the early 1990s. Many
\nresidents affected by the project refused to accept compensation
\nfor their land because they did not fell they were receiving a
\nfair price.<\/p>\n
Several residents went so far as to erect huts in the middle
\nof the completed toll road to protest what they felt was their
\nunfair treatment by the government.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-hankam-cikunir-route-eases-traffic-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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