Medan–Sibolga National Road Confirmed Smooth Seven Days Before Eid
JAKARTA — The Public Works Minister, Dody Hanggodo, has assured that the national road section from Medan to Sibolga in North Sumatra is ready to manage the Eid 2026 holiday travel rush beginning seven days before the festival.
This assurance was provided following his direct inspection of the mudik route via an overland journey from Medan to the South Tapanuli region on Sunday, 8 March 2026.
“The national road section from Medan to Sibolga is now ready to handle the mudik traffic starting seven days before Eid,” Hanggodo stated firmly.
The inspection was part of government efforts to ensure the readiness of the national road network in anticipation of increased public mobility during the Eid holiday period.
During the journey, Hanggodo also inspected several national road sections that were previously affected by flash floods and landslides in November 2025.
A total of 39 landslide points and two affected bridges have been remediated to ensure public transportation access remains secure.
Various technical works have been undertaken, including slope stabilisation, embankment reinforcement, road widening, drainage management, and reconstruction of bridge infrastructure damaged by the disaster.
Methods employed include borehole pile installation, slope shotcrete, soil nailing, and road alignment re-engineering in areas with high vulnerability levels.
During the inspection, Hanggodo began his journey from Medan at approximately 09:00 local time and entered the Kuala Tanjung–Tebing Tinggi–Parapat (Kutepat) toll road section heading towards Pematang Siantar.
This toll section forms part of the strategic route to the Lake Toba area and the Tapanuli region.
The toll road is part of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road Network (JTTS) with a total length of 136.8 kilometres, constructed through a public-private partnership scheme by PT Hutama Marga Waskita.
After exiting the toll road at Pematang Siantar, Hanggodo inspected a landslide point and conducted road preservation work to ensure the route remained safe ahead of peak mudik traffic.
The journey then continued towards the Tapanuli region via the Tarutung–Sibolga corridor, which serves as an important connecting route between North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli regions.