Government Accelerates Celukan Bawang Port as Alternative Java-Bali Route

The central government is maturing plans for Celukan Bawang Port in Buleleng as an alternative Java-Bali ferry crossing to ease congestion on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route during the Eid homecoming season and the Christmas and New Year holidays. The port’s readiness was inspected by Balkis Kusumawati, Assistant Deputy for Maritime and Air Connectivity at the Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development, alongside several ministries and related agencies on Thursday (6/8/2026). This inspection follows a visit by the Minister of Transportation some time ago. The delegation checked the readiness of port infrastructure, operational facilities, road access, and supporting amenities. Also present were the Head of the Class IV Celukan Bawang Port Authority Office, representatives from PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) Regional 3 Celukan Bawang Branch, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), and representatives from the Ministry of Transportation. Balkis stated that opening a new route via Celukan Bawang Port requires cross-agency coordination. The Ministry of Transportation, Pelindo, ASDP, the police, and the local government must ensure all aspects are ready before the service is operational. ‘The Celukan Bawang route is being prepared as an alternative to ease congestion on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing, especially during the Eid homecoming flow which coincides with Nyepi Day, as well as during the Christmas and New Year periods,’ she said. According to Balkis, the government is still finalising various studies, ranging from port infrastructure readiness and landside and seaside operations to traffic management. The results of the field inspection and coordination meeting will form the basis for determining strategic steps before the route is operated. General Manager of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) Regional 3 Celukan Bawang Branch, Mochammad Imron, said Pelindo is ready to support the development of Celukan Bawang Port as an alternative Java-Bali crossing route. ‘Pelindo is ready to play an active role in developing Celukan Bawang Port as part of strengthening Java-Bali connectivity. We continue to ensure the readiness of infrastructure, operational facilities, and services, as well as strengthening coordination with all stakeholders so that the programme can run well,’ said Imron. Imron assessed that the port’s readiness does not depend solely on physical infrastructure. Shipping safety, service quality, and inter-agency synergy are also important factors for optimal operations. Pelindo hopes that collaboration between the central government, local government, regulators, ferry operators, and port managers can accelerate the realisation of Celukan Bawang Port as a new node for Java-Bali connectivity. Besides reducing congestion on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route, the route is also expected to facilitate logistics distribution and drive economic growth in North Bali.