Cipularang toll road brings positive impacts to local economy

Kelik Dewanto, Antara/Jakarta

President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono officially opened on July 12 the second section of the Cikampek-Purwakarta-Padalarang toll road, better known as the Cipularang II, spanning 41 kilometers.

Motorist are now required to pay a toll after being exempt from paying one since April 26. Some 30,000 vehicles pass the road daily. The tariff for Group I vehicles, such as sedans, minibuses and light trucks from the East Pondok Gede tollgate in Jakarta to the Pasteur tollgate in Bandung, a distance of 131 km, has been set at Rp 29,000 (US$3.00).

Various snags that once suspended the decision on tariffs were finally resolved with the inauguration of the toll road.

The most crucial problem was technical, particularly the unstable soil condition, which was prone to landslides. However, the problem was overcome by building sloping restraining walls on road shoulders.

Chief director of state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga Syarifuddin Alambai, acknowledged that the Cipularang toll road project was the most difficult project the company had worked on, technically as well as financially.

It was technically challenging because the company had to complete the project in a year's time, from April 7, 2004 to April 24, so that the road could be used by delegations from some 100 nations of the Asian-African Summit in Jakarta to trace the steps made by heads of Asian and African countries 50 years ago, held on April 24 this year in Bandung.

The Cipularang toll road runs through numerous hills, rivers and deep canyons and it required cut-and-fill methods such as scraping, excavating, filling and the reinforcement of soil.

At least 10 hills had to be cropped, yielding 18 million cubic meters of earth from excavation and filling works.

In Pasir Honje, South Purwakarta regency and Cikarentong in Bandung regency, for instance cut-and-fill works produced a 30- meter-deep landfill.

Besides that, contractors had to redo several land contour works due to the unstable condition of land in Pasir Honje and Batu Datar. The Cikubang bridge in Cikalongwetan, Bandung regency, the pillars of which are 60 meters -- the tallest in Indonesia -- required specific a construction technique, while the cranes used in various road construction projects in Indonesia thus far, could only lift concrete girders to 30 meters.

The same problem was also encountered during the construction of the Cipada bridge in Cipatat, Bandung regency, recorded as the bridge with the longest span of 700 meters.

It was also difficult from funding aspects because the Cipularang II project required Rp 1.6 trillion, which needed to be secured in a short time. Jasa Marga had not enough time to issue bonds or get loans from banks.

Jasa Marga acknowledged that it was racing against time to finish the project. "We are required to complete the project before April 24," said Syarifuddin who was entrusted to lead Jasa Marga since May, 2001.

For bridge construction, for example, they decided to use the prestressed I-shaped girders, while for foundation and piling works in deep ravines, they brought in a sophisticated launcher device from Italy that could lift concrete girders up to 60 meters high as a substitute for cranes.

To prevent erosion, terraced retaining walls, the slopes of which conformed to the soil condition, were built.

To reach a short completion target, the project was carried out simultaneously in nine sections by nine contractors around the clock.

To overcome funding problems, Jasa Marga launched a contractor full prefinance (CFP) funding scheme, in which contractors would first fund the project with loans from banks that had obtained a guarantee from Jasa Marga. Jasa Marga would later repay the loans and their interests in several years.

The journey through the Cipularang toll road takes only one-and-a-half hours from Jakarta to Bandung at an average speed of 80 kilometers an hour, compared to the normal time of three- and-a-half hours, thus saving time and energy as well as vehicle operation costs.

In addition, the presence of the toll road will also spur development in the area and rapid industrial growth in Bekasi, Karawang, Garut, Purwakarta, Subang and Bandung. It will also spur tourism in Bandung city as the city has been a favorite weekend hangout for Jakartans for years, thanks to its cool climate and beautiful scenery.

Besides providing positive impacts on the economic growth and attracting foreign investors, the toll road brings a multiplier effect, which is immediately noticeable.

The Cipularang II project alone used up 25,000 tons of iron rods for concrete reinforcement, 523,000 tons of cement, 1.3 million cubic meters (cu m) of gravel, 514,000 cu m of sand, and created 50,000 jobs, as well as involved 30 consultant and contractor companies. It has also enhanced the heavy machinery rental business, transportation and also food stalls opened by area residents during the road construction.