Chronology of Road Collapse in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, Causing Severe Traffic Congestion

Traffic flow on Lenteng Agung Main Road in South Jakarta, heading towards Depok City, West Java, experienced severe congestion on Friday (29 May) morning. The congestion occurred due to lane narrowing caused by a road collapse. According to the X account of TMC Polda Metro Jaya, traffic congestion occurred from north to south, specifically from Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta towards Depok. ‘Drivers are advised to seek alternative routes due to vehicle build-up near the site,’ stated in the TMC Polda Metro Jaya X post at 6.30 AM WIB on Friday morning. The road collapse was reported to have begun two days prior. A video posted by TMC Polda Metro Jaya in the early hours of Friday showed a large pothole due to the collapse. Vehicles approaching the site were seen crawling in heavy traffic. The collapsed section featured a large hole, surrounded by water barriers and bamboo fencing. Joint teams of police, transportation officials, and local authorities were stationed at the site. The collapse was positioned centrally, leaving only one lane open for traffic, adjacent to the KRL railway fence. Authorities implemented traffic management measures for the collapsed road. Police advised drivers, particularly those travelling from Pasar Minggu to Depok, to use alternative routes. ‘South Jakarta Traffic Police have implemented measures, closing two lanes for vehicles heading from Jakarta to Depok; currently only one lane is open for traffic,’ stated in the TMC Polda Metro Jaya X post at 6.30 AM. Social media users cited in X posts reported that by 7.00 AM WIB, the congestion had extended approximately 800 metres from the narrowing point. ‘Road collapse on Lenteng Agung Main Road, in front of Sate PSK Jagakarsa in South Jakarta. Drivers from Jakarta to Depok are advised to exercise caution. One lane is unusable (collapse is central) and only two lanes are available,’ as per TMC Polda Metro Jaya’s X post. South Jakarta Sub-District Public Works Office (Sudin Bina Marga) stated that the road collapse was detected as a gradual occurrence since Wednesday (27 May) night. South Jakarta Sub-District Public Works Head Rifki Rismal said his office first received reports from residents and Public Infrastructure Handling Unit (PPSU) staff. ‘On Wednesday night, 27 May, the South Jakarta SDBM team received reports from residents and a PPSU officer that the road had collapsed and was quite deep,’ said Rifki on 29 May, as cited by detik.com. However, due to the late hour, the team scheduled a site inspection for Thursday (28 May) morning. He explained that the dispatched Bina Marga officers immediately carried out initial repairs using cold mix to ensure road safety and user comfort. ‘On Thursday morning, South Jakarta SDBM swiftly inspected the site and promptly applied cold mix for repairs,’ he added. Simultaneously, Rifki said his office coordinated with South Jakarta Sub-District Water Resources Office (SDA), as initial suspicions pointed to issues with the underground water channel causing the damage. After initial repairs, the SDA team inspected the water channel. Field monitoring revealed the road’s substructure had become hollow, requiring serious intervention. ‘Field monitoring confirmed the road’s substructure was hollow, necessitating serious handling by the SDA,’ he said. Further monitoring on Thursday afternoon showed the road had collapsed and cracked again despite prior repairs. In response, Bina Marga immediately installed water barriers to secure the area and minimise accident risks. Shortly after, on Thursday (28 May) evening, the road fully collapsed, widening to consume two lanes, causing traffic congestion in Lenteng Agung until Friday morning. Rifki stated that, following coordination, the SDA would address the damaged culvert suspected as the primary cause of the collapse. ‘Once the culvert repairs are completed, our Bina Marga team will proceed with road repairs,’ Rifki said.