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)