Expert: Road Collapse Should Have Been Detected Early from Wavy Surface

Construction expert Davy Sukamta said that the collapse of Jalan Lenteng Agung Raya in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, should have been detected earlier if surface irregularities were thoroughly inspected. Davy explained that wavy road surfaces could indicate early signs of ground subsidence or structural damage beneath. ‘If the undulations are significant, not sudden and localised, it’s likely due to ground subsidence,’ he told Kompas.com on Friday (29 May 2026). He added that such surface conditions should prompt maintenance authorities to inspect the road’s substructure to prevent accidents when vehicles pass over. Previously, the road in Lenteng Agung, towards Depok, collapsed on Thursday (28 May 2026) at around 11:30 PM WIB. The hole measured approximately 16 metres long, 3 metres in diameter and depth. Traffic towards Depok was restricted to one lane until Friday afternoon. Sartono, at the scene, said the cause was a crossing with a culvert of about 3 metres, possibly aged and deteriorated. However, Davy questioned the use of ‘keropos’ (crumbling) to describe the concrete damage. ‘If concrete was already crumbling when cast, but if it wasn’t originally, suddenly becoming crumbling is odd,’ he said. He stressed the need to confirm the cause by inspecting the underlying structure, whether old pipes, concrete culverts, or box culverts. ‘The foundation soil must be strong for the construction to be stable,’ he added.