Mega launches new toll road

Mega launches new toll road

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri officially opened an 18-
kilometer (km) stretch of toll road connecting Cikampek,
Purwakarta and Padalarang, West Java, on Saturday.

The new highway, known as Cipularang toll road (phase I),
which incorporates the names of the three cities connected,
enables motorists to reduce the Jakarta to Bandung drive time
from an average three hours to only two-and-a-half hours, Antara
reported.

During the opening ceremony, which took place in Purwakarta,
the President also inaugurated the start of the Cipularang phase
II highway between Sadang and Cikamuning.

Cipularang phase I consists of two sections: a 12-km highway
between Dawuan and Sadang and the 6-km Padalarang bypass.

The President hoped that the phase II toll road would be
operational by April 2005, as by that time Bandung was due to
host an Asia-Africa conference.

According to Minister of Settlement and Regional
Infrastructure Soenarno, who accompanied Megawati, the Cipularang
toll road was originally planned to be operational in 1997, but
corruption marred the project, causing it to be halted.

The Phase II toll road will require 522,857 tons of cement,
40,000 tons of steel, 1,285,714 cubic meters (cu.m.) of ballast
and 514,286 cu.m. of sand.

A total 110,000 workers will be involved in the Rp 1.5
trillion (US$176 million) project.

The government is aiming to boost investment in the
infrastructure sector including toll road as part of efforts to
help accelerate the country's economic growth.

The biggest toll road project would be the 1,486-kilometer
toll road that would link Merak in Banten with Banyuwangi in East
Java. The projects, scheduled to start this year and continue
until 2009, are estimated to cost some Rp 77.3 trillion. Private
investors have been encouraged to construct different sections of
the road.