BPJN Aceh Accelerates Construction of Concrete Water Channels on Beutong-Celala Road Section
The Aceh National Road Implementation Agency (BPJN) is accelerating the construction of three concrete water channels in the form of box culverts on the Beutong-Celala road section, Beutong Ateuh Banggalang District, Nagan Raya Regency. The infrastructure, valued at approximately Rp 3 billion, is targeted for completion by October 2026 to protect community access from the threat of erosion, flooding, and landslides.
The Beutong-Celala road section was previously cut off due to a hydrometeorological disaster, leaving surrounding areas isolated from both Nagan Raya and Takengon. The construction of the box culverts is part of permanent handling measures to control water flow during heavy rain so that it does not erode slopes and the road surface again.
Project Manager for Natural Disaster Handling on the Genting Gerbang - Jeuram Road Section, Feri Ejin, said the box culverts are designed with dimensions of 3x6 metres, larger than the previous structures. This capacity is intended to allow water to be accommodated and channelled more safely when the flow rate increases.
“The dimensions have been enlarged compared to before. With a size of 3x6 metres, we hope that water flow during heavy rain can be accommodated and discharged better so that incidents like last year do not recur,” said Feri in a written statement on Tuesday (18/8/2026).
Construction is being carried out at three points, with the main challenge being the distribution of materials to the site. Materials must travel nearly 50 kilometres through steep and uphill terrain. These conditions limit each truck’s hauling capacity to around seven cubic metres, with an average frequency of one trip per day.
“The challenge is ensuring materials arrive and are always available on site. The terrain is quite extreme, so truck capacity is limited, while cement and other materials must be continuously supplied so that work does not stop,” said Feri.
To meet the target, BPJN Aceh has deployed 9 excavators, 10 dump trucks, 1 tandem roller, 1 dozer, and a number of supporting equipment. The number of workers and operational hours have also been adjusted. When the weather is clear, work is extended to make up for time lost due to rain.
Head of Administrative Affairs for Commitment Making Officer 2.7 Aceh, Fachrun Rizaldi, said the acceleration is necessary because the road section is an important access point for community mobility.
“We are accelerating because this area was previously isolated. From the Nagan Raya direction, entry was impossible, and likewise from the Takengon direction,” said Fachrun.
Once the box culverts are completed, the route is expected to be more resilient in facing increased water flow while maintaining the movement of people, goods, and community economic activity.
Representative of the Sumatra Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas PRR) from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Imran, emphasised that infrastructure strengthening must make the community feel safer in facing the rainy season.
“When rainfall and water flow increase, the community must still feel comfortable and protected,” said Imran.
The Satgas PRR also encourages stronger coordination between BPJN Aceh, local government, work implementers, and related elements to overcome obstacles in material distribution and weather.