'Concrete' plans for U.S. Embassy

'Concrete' plans for U.S. Embassy

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

JAKARTA: Motorists will have another diversion to watch out
for when driving along Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in front of the
U.S. Embassy as construction workers placed on Monday concrete
bollards to cordon off the road immediately in front of the
embassy.

However, the strip in front of the embassy, which is 500
meters long, takes up two lanes of the four on the southern
avenue of Jl. Merdeka Selatan, which is prone to traffic
congestion.

The concrete blocks were placed on the street's surface, using
interlocking sections and were not cemented to the ground. The
blocks were painted white (above photo).

Workers also constructed a new U-turn in front of City Hall,
as the existing one in front of the embassy was blocked by razor-
wire barricades.

The U.S. Embassy and its consulate in Surabaya closed last
Tuesday for the remainder of the week due to a terrorism threat
in conjunction with the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack
against the World Trade Center.

The embassy and consulate resumed operations on Monday.

Vice President Hamzah Haz has ordered the National Police to
deploy additional officers for extra security following the
embassy's closure. --JP