Ministry of Public Works Accelerates National Road Repairs Ahead of Eid Holiday Exodus
The Ministry of Public Works (PU) through the Large-Scale National Road Implementation Agency (BBPJN) is accelerating repairs on several national road sections ahead of the Eid holiday travel exodus.
One section being handled is the Palur-Sragen route in Central Java, which is currently undergoing preservation work to improve road quality and support smooth mobility for the public.
The Commitment Officer for the 3.5 Surakarta-Palur-Sragen-Mantingan project, Novi Krisniawati, stated that several works have been completed, including rigid pavement installation.
“The rigid pavement work has been completed,” she said during an inspection of the Palur-Sragen section on Thursday, 12 March.
According to Novi, the Palur-Sragen road preservation project is a three-year multi-year programme that began in 2025 and is now in its second year of implementation.
Within this work package, several supporting road facilities are being completed, such as the installation of kerbs and road medians.
“Several median works are still being carried out by service providers at the early STA around kilometre 13,” she said.
Beyond improving road quality, the project also addresses frequent flooding issues in the area. One step taken is raising the road elevation at flood-prone points.
“Road raising work is being carried out from kilometre 13 to kilometre 15,” Novi explained.
She added that comprehensive repairs were necessary because the road’s previous condition was inadequate and heavily potholed.
The Palur-Sragen section has a strategic role as a connecting route between regions. Besides being used by light vehicles, it also serves as a route for heavy-load trucks heading to East Java.
“If continuing straight, this route goes through to East Java or Mantingan,” she said.
Furthermore, the road is part of the central transit route connecting East Java, Central Java, and the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
“This section is very important for supporting inter-regional connectivity,” she emphasised.
Currently, work progress has reached 41% with positive deviation of 16.7%. After Eid, additional work will continue at several points.
“We still have work after Eid, such as major asphalt rehabilitation with two layers and minor rehabilitation with one layer,” Novi said.
Besides road repairs, the project also includes the construction of U-ditch drainage, cold milling machine (CMM) work to restore road conditions, and resealing with asphalt and concrete pavement at several points.
Novi explained that the location experiences annual water overflow during the rainy season because the river alongside the road cannot accommodate increased water discharge.
“This is possibly triggered by changes in land use, such as from rice fields to industrial areas,” she said.
However, since road raising and rigid pavement repairs began in 2025, conditions have improved.
“Residents are greatly helped because traffic remains smooth despite heavy rainfall,” she added.
In a different location, the Commitment Officer 1.2 of BBPJN Central Java-DIY, Ridwan Umbara, explained the handling of damage from strong winds that occurred on the Batang-Kendal route.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, 4 March 2026 around 4.30 p.m. at kilometres 73-74, causing several infrastructure to collapse.
“Twenty-four electricity poles fell and approximately 20 teak trees belonging to Perhutani also collapsed due to the storm,” Ridwan said.
Officers immediately took emergency action during the night to keep the route operational. During the handling process, traffic from Semarang was placed under contraflow system until morning.
The next day, BBPJN also coordinated with the state electricity company (PLN) to repair the damaged poles.
“By Thursday, 5 March around 3.00 p.m., the handling was complete,” he said.
Afterwards, traffic returned to normal with four lanes available for travel to Semarang and Jakarta.
During the handling process, the team deployed several heavy equipment such as wheel loaders, two dump trucks, and one JCB-type excavator-loader.
Additionally, on-site handling also involved labour-intensive efforts and local residents to clear tree materials blocking the road.
Ridwan acknowledged that one challenge in the handling was time constraints due to the potential for follow-up storms. As a result of the incident, traffic experienced congestion of approximately one kilometre.
To anticipate similar incidents, his team will continue to monitor weather forecasts and coordinate with Perhutani regarding large trees around the road.
“We are focused on clearing branches and materials blocking the road so that traffic can return to normal,” he concluded.
The police also remind residents to ensure their homes are in a safe condition before leaving them.
PT Pertamina Lubricants (PTPL) is presenting various Ramadan and Eid holiday programmes 2026 with the theme “Energy Shared, Protecting Every Journey.”
The peak Eid holiday travel flow in 2026 is predicted to increase by 26.29%, from normal conditions of 169,868 vehicles to approximately 214,533 vehicles.
Road users are also urged to be careful with solid road markings which can become slippery when wet.
The Regional Police Chief of Yogyakarta Special Region is ensuring that surveillance will be tightened on routes with certain conditions to anticipate potential traffic accidents.
Sugihartono added that he has requested the relevant authorities to complete road repairs when the travel season begins.
Road repairs are being carried out at several points considered to have the most severe damage levels, thus threatening the safety of road users.
The President emphasised that recovery of strategic infrastructure must be carried out comprehensively whilst prioritising safety factors and long-term mitigation.