N. Jakarta road's first phase completed

N. Jakarta road's first phase completed

JAKARTA (JP): The first phase of a nine-kilometer road linking Cakung and Cilincing in North Jakarta has been completed.

Construction of the remaining four kilometers is scheduled to be completed in October.

The state-funded project, at an estimated cost of Rp 36.47 billion (US$15.65 million), is expected to ease the traffic flow of trailers moving from warehouse centers to the city's main port at Tanjung Priok.

Ministry of Public Works data shows that about 50,000 trailers travel to and from the port every day.

Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar and Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto checked up on the project yesterday along with Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, who proposed that the ministers lend assistance to the city administration in taking care of the roads around Tanjung Priok.

Haryanto agreed, saying that the government should help maintain the roads, which are critical to the smooth and timely shipment of goods.

"The government should help the municipality because we expect the number of containers in the port this year to reach two million units, up from 1.6 million last year," the minister said.

Container traffic in the area is currently confined to a two- lane road, whose condition continues to deteriorate.

The road has also been lined with hundreds of illegal shanties, many of which the city administration has already demolished. (yns)