Harbor toll road almost completed
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar has said he was relieved the harbor toll road in North Jakarta was near completion, and that he expected the road to be ready before the International Air Show, scheduled for mid-June.
The 6.7-kilometer segment from East Ancol to Jembatan Tiga in North Jakarta is part of the 13.13 km tollway stretching from Tanjung Priok interchange to Jembatan Tiga in North Jakarta.
The tollway, which will extend to the Pluit interchange, is expected to ease traffic between West and East Jakarta as it will link up with Jl. Prof. Sedyatmo, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport toll road in West Jakarta. The Pluit interchange, now under construction, will also link up to the airport toll road.
President Soeharto has declared 1996 Indonesia's maritime and aerospace year. The International Air Show is scheduled to take place at the airport.
The Rp 676 billion (US$293.9 million) harbor road project is being carried out by PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada, with state-owned PT Hutama Karya and Yala Perkasa International contractors.
Traveling to the airport from these areas is expected to take less time via the 13.13-kilometer road.
Radinal inspected the final phase of the project in North Jakarta on Wednesday.
The project consists of the 6.4-kilometer overpass from Tanjung Priok to West Ancol, which has been in operation since last October; and the 6.7-kilometer section from East Ancol to Jembatan Tiga, which is under construction.
"President Soeharto is expected to officiate the road at the end of May," said Bambang Hartadi, the deputy project officer.
Despite the comparatively difficult technical factors given the swampy area, Bambang said the project is expected to be completed ahead of the September schedule.
Radinal and his staff also inspected work on the Penjaringan interchange linking the harbor road and Grogol.
Maryadi Darmokumoro, president of the state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga, said he hoped the work would also be completed before the Air Show. PT Jasa Marga is carrying out the Rp 52 billion project. (anr)