Citra, Drassindo eye Grogol-Tangerang road

JAKARTA (JP): Citra Group and Drassindo Group have pledged their readiness to submit tenders for the government's 30- kilometer Grogol-Tangerang elevated toll road project.

Bambang Soeroso, chief executive officer of Citra Group's holding company PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada, expressed his company's ambition to win the bid.

Meanwhile, Djoko Eko Suprastowo, an executive with the Drassindo Group, also expressed optimism that his company would win the bid and expand its toll road operations.

The Ministry of Public Works said earlier that bidding for the Grogol-Tangerang toll road project would begin this year.

The ministry's director general of highway development, Suharsono Martakim, said the project is now being studied to see how it might disrupt the Greater Jakarta area.

"The evaluation is quite lengthy because the east-west route was not originally prepared for a toll way," Suharsono said.

Citra Group, owned and controlled by President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, is a member of the consortium that has been selected to construct the triple-level transit system linking Kota (West Jakarta) and Blok M (South Jakarta). Construction is scheduled to begin in April.

Drassindo, meanwhile, now operates the Pondok Pinang-Jagorawi toll road. It is also developing the Jagorawi-Cikunir, Pondok Aren-Serpong, and Kali Malang toll road projects in Greater Jakarta. (02)