Awaiting the Realisation of Puncak II Route to Alleviate Traffic Congestion

Cianjur (ANTARA) - Awaiting dreams to become reality. That is the hope implied from various sectors in Cianjur Regency, West Java, alongside the West Java Provincial Government’s plan to start construction of the Puncak II route in 2026 as a solution to congestion on the Puncak route.

For a long time, communities in northern Cianjur, especially business actors, have often struggled to meet demands from the large market in Jabodetabek, which requires on-time deliveries so that vegetables and ornamental flowers remain fresh. However, hours-long congestion on the Puncak route has frequently caused them losses.

Various efforts have been made, including choosing alternative routes such as Puncak II and Jonggol. However, those options have not yet become solutions because the travel distance is longer and the road conditions are still poor.

Therefore, they hope that the construction of the Puncak II route can be carried out collaboratively between local, provincial, and central governments to become the main solution to overcome congestion on the Puncak route, especially for suppliers of vegetables and ornamental flowers.

If the 62-kilometre road stretching across Bogor and Cianjur Regencies is built, travel time and distance will be much shorter. Business actors can then fulfil orders up to four times a day on round trips.

Hopes for the main alternative route to soon be realised continue to be voiced by business actors every year. They want to have an economic route free of congestion, both during long holidays and on ordinary days when vehicle density still occurs along the main Puncak route.

The dream of holidaying in Cianjur without being trapped in traffic is approaching reality. The West Java Provincial Government has assured that construction of the Puncak II Route will begin this year as a solution to density on the Puncak Route while reopening tourist access to mountainous areas, waterfalls, and the longest southern beach in West Java.

That hope is welcomed by business actors in northern Cianjur, including vegetable traders in Panagan Village, Sukatani Village, Pacet District, Nunut Sauki (49). Every day, he sends more than 12 tonnes of vegetables to Pasar Induk Kramatjati, Jakarta, but often incurs losses due to being stuck in hours-long traffic on the Puncak Route.

“We never tire of hoping that the Puncak II Route will soon be realised so that order deliveries can be on time without being trapped in traffic for dozens of hours,” he said.

According to Sauki, over the past two decades, the Pacet, Cipanas, and Sukaresmi tourist areas have slowly lost visitors because tourists are reluctant to face congestion when heading to or returning from Puncak-Cianjur.

In fact, the Puncak-Cipanas area was once a favourite tourist destination for domestic and international visitors. Hotels, villas, eateries, and restaurants were always bustling every weekend. Now, many businesses along the main route have closed due to the lack of visitors.

“Now hotels, eateries, and restaurants are mostly bankrupt because buyers continue to decrease, including vegetable stalls owned by residents,” said Sauki.

The hopes of the Cianjur community are beginning to find a bright spot after West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi assured that the construction of the Puncak II Route continues to be pursued so that it can be completed and utilised by the community at the latest in 2027.

According to Dedi, the alternative route is expected to alleviate congestion in the Puncak-Cianjur area while encouraging economic growth, especially in the tourism sector.

“Our target is for the Puncak II Route to be utilisable next year as an alternative route to reduce vehicle density in the Puncak area,” he said.