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.