Balikpapan Government to Use Emergency Funds to Repair Muddy, Slippery Road to SDN 022
The access road to State Primary School (SDN) 022 in East Balikpapan, located in the Batakan area, has drawn complaints from residents and students as it becomes slippery and muddy when it rains. As a result, hundreds of pupils and teachers face significant difficulties carrying out teaching and learning activities.
Monitoring at the site on Monday (20/7) showed that the more than 100-metre-long road surface is still a mix of soil and stone. When it rains, the surface becomes slippery, muddy, and covered in puddles. Several spots have turned into pools, making it difficult for motorcyclists to pass and increasing the risk of falling.
The condition of the road stands in stark contrast to the school building, which is already quite representative. Residents hope that supporting infrastructure development will not stop at the school building but will also include access to the location.
Darwis, a Batakan resident, said the damaged road has long been a source of public complaint because it is used daily by hundreds of students and teaching staff as the main access to the school. “It is a shame that the access road to the school is still damaged, even though the educational facilities at SDN 022 Balikpapan Timur are already quite good,” he said. According to him, the road condition becomes even more concerning during the rainy season, as mud covers the road surface, forcing children to go to school in uncomfortable conditions and to be extremely careful to avoid slipping and getting their clothes dirty.
“The school facilities are already good, but the road is severely damaged. It is a pity for the schoolchildren; when it rains, their shoes and clothes are already dirty before they even enter the classroom,” he said. Darwis added that road user safety is also a concern, with motorists forced to reduce speed for fear of skidding on the slippery surface.
Echoing this, a student’s guardian named Yanti expressed hope that the Balikpapan city government would immediately improve the quality of the road and pave it so that teaching and learning activities can proceed smoothly, especially since the school building is already in good condition. “We are worried that the damaged road will dampen the children’s enthusiasm for going to school, as they have to struggle through mud and slippery conditions when it rains,” Yanti said.
Responding to the complaints, Head of the Balikpapan Education and Culture Agency (Disdikbud), Irfan Taufik, said the city government has prepared steps to address the access road to SDN 022 Balikpapan Timur. “The handling will be proposed using the Belanja Tidak Terduga (BTT) budget,” he stated.
He explained that the BTT funding scheme was chosen so that the handling could be carried out more quickly, allowing the access road to be repaired immediately and used more safely by students and the public. A request letter for the use of BTT funds has already been submitted, as this mechanism is considered the fastest solution for the relevant agency to carry out the repairs.
“As of today, in order to maintain the safety and comfort of students using the road to school, the Balikpapan Education Agency has submitted a request for financing the road works through the BTT mechanism. So, if it is approved, the Public Works Agency will immediately carry out the work,” he stressed. Irfan acknowledged that the Education Agency does not have the authority or budget to handle road repairs, as the work falls outside the agency’s main duties.
He explained that the proposal will be processed according to local government mechanisms and will be forwarded through the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) before being implemented by the Public Works Agency once approval is granted. “So later it goes to the Public Works Agency; there is a mechanism. There is a submission first, then it goes through BPBD. We hope it will be approved soon for repairs through the BTT mechanism,” he explained.
He assessed that the use of BTT funds is appropriate because the road damage has directly impacted teaching and learning activities and poses a potential danger to student safety, especially during the rainy season when the road becomes slippery and muddy. “The BTT budget is indeed provided by the government to handle urgent conditions, including infrastructure damage requiring immediate action. We have submitted the request letter today. Hopefully, the road to SDN 022 Balikpapan Timur will be repaired soon,” he concluded.