Long Traffic Jams Hit Cakung and Ciracas in East Jakarta, Here's the Cause

The Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub DKI) has explained the causes of the traffic jams that occurred on Bekasi Raya in Cakung, East Jakarta, and in Ciracas, East Jakarta, today. The congestion was triggered by vehicle volume and infrastructure projects at those locations.

“Traffic density at several points in East Jakarta is being influenced by high vehicle volumes coinciding with infrastructure works. Together with the relevant agencies, we are continuing to manage traffic on the ground and coordinating with the project contractors so that the impact on public mobility can be minimised,” said Harlem Simanjuntak, Head of the East Jakarta Transportation Sub-Department, in a written statement on Tuesday (4/8/2026).

Harlem said one of the congested points was on Bekasi Raya, also known as Jalan Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, specifically from the Pulogebang intersection towards Bekasi. In addition to vehicle volume, the congestion was caused by road improvement works on Bekasi Raya.

It is understood that there are two work packages for the improvement of Bekasi Raya in the direction of Bekasi, covering the stretch after the Pulogebang junction up to the bridge before the Harapan Indah area in Bekasi. The works are targeted for completion on 22–23 August 2026.

Harlem said the concrete pouring was carried out at night. However, the freshly poured road surface cannot yet be used by traffic.

“The road concreting is done at night, but the sections that have been poured still need to go through a curing process, so for the time being they cannot yet be used by vehicles. This condition reduces road capacity and has an impact on traffic density,” he said.

Apart from Bekasi Raya, congestion also occurred on Jalan Kiwi–Jalan PKP in Ciracas district. The jam there was caused by a pipe-jacking project and the installation of concrete barriers by the Jakarta Water Resources Department, running from 24 July to 23 October 2026.

Harlem revealed that heavy equipment arrived at the work site in the early hours of this morning. However, a lack of coordination meant the equipment had stopped on the carriageway, leaving only one usable lane.

“In the early hours of this morning, a PC200 excavator arrived at the work site. Because the arrival of the heavy equipment had not been coordinated beforehand, the vehicle stopped on the carriageway, leaving only one lane usable and slowing the traffic flow,” he explained.

Officers subsequently managed traffic to keep vehicles moving while the works continue. Dishub DKI has urged the public to make use of alternative routes.

“We urge the public to anticipate their travel times, follow the instructions of officers on the ground, and make use of alternative routes where necessary until the works are completed,” he said.