Belated Manggarai underpass completed

Belated Manggarai underpass completed

JAKARTA (JP): The Manggarai underpass in South Jakarta, which
was planned 20 years ago, has finally been completed.

The underpass, which connects Jl. Sultan Agung and Jl.
Tambak, was opened yesterday by governor Surjadi Soedirdja,

The head of the city public works agency, Soeharto, said the
delay in construction was caused mainly by the problem of
building an underpass under a railway.

The delay had caused prolonged traffic jams on the adjacent
narrow road.

The project, which cost Rp 12.86 billion (US$5.59 million),
was funded by the city and a loan from the World Bank, Soeharto
said.

He said the underpass would not eliminate the local traffic
jams. The traffic jams will remain until Manggarai bus terminal
has been relocated and a flyover on Jl. Sultan Agung has been
built.

"The underpass can only ease the traffic, compared to the
conditions on the old road," Soeharto said.

He refused to say when or to where the terminal would be
relocated.

The head of the city office of the Ministry of Public Works,
Dargono Danuprawiro, has said that Central and East Jakarta will
have two new flyovers next year; in Pejompongan and Jl. Pahlawan
Revolusi.

Soeharto said the projects were among the 25 flyovers and
underpasses planned for the city.

"We are still negotiating with land owners in both locations,"
Soeharto said on the two flyovers that are expected to be opened
next year.

Construction of the 25 projects was scheduled to start in 1992
and be completed in 1997.

Seventeen of the projects have been completed, including the
Manggarai underpass.

Six are still under construction. In Central Jakarta they
include the flyovers on Jl. K.S. Tubun, Jl. Mas Mansyur and Jl.
Cideng, and the underpass on Jl. Fachruddin. In East Jakarta
there is the flyover on Jl. Pramuka, and in South Jakarta there
is the flyover on Jl. Lapangan Ros.

Surjadi said the projects are one way to ease the traffic,
given that the annual growth of new roads is 4 percent while the
number of vehicles increases 14 percent. (yns)