New Hankam-Cikunir route eases traffic

New Hankam-Cikunir route eases traffic

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Suparjo, a resident of a housing complex in Lebak Bulus, South
Jakarta, is thankful that during this year's rush to get out of
town for the Idul Fitri holiday, the new Hankam-Cikunir toll road
will let him and his family reach the Cikampek expressway in less
than 30 minutes.

"Thank God, the route has opened. It saves us a lot of gas and
time. It used to take over an hour just to reach the Cikampek
toll road. And during mudik, I think it used to take us over two
hours," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday on his way to
Purwokerto, Central Java, with his family.

The new route opened on Saturday, just in time for the rush of
people leaving town for the holiday.

Suparjo was just one of thousands of travelers grateful for
the opening of the Hankam-Cikunir toll road, which stretches from
Cilangkap in East Jakarta to Jatiasih in Bekasi, West Java.

The new toll road, which currently is open only to those
people traveling from Cilangkap to Cikampek, but not in the other
direction, will allow motorists from South Jakarta, including
Bintaro and Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) in Tangerang, to avoid the
Cawang intersection, which is notorious for its traffic jams.

Previously, travelers from South Jakarta, Bintaro and BSD had
to pass through Cawang in East Jakarta to enter the Cikampek toll
road. From Pondok Indah, for instance, motorists would require
about 30 minutes to reach the Taman Mini tollgate, and then
another 30 minutes to reach the Halim Perdana Kusuma route before
arriving at the Pondok Gede Timur tollgate.

PT Jasa Marga's head of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, A.
Tito Karim, however, acknowledged the opening of the Hankam-
Cikunir route was temporary as parts of the road still required
work.

"We opened the route to ease traffic at Cawang during the
mudik season. After that we will close it again in order to
continue our work," he said.

Tito said that through the second day of Idul Fitri, the
Hankam-Cikunir toll road, which is part of the Jakarta Outer Ring
Road, would be a one-way route serving motorists from the
Jagorawi and Pondok Indah toll roads traveling to Cikampek.

After the second day of Idul Fitri until Nov. 7, the road will
be a one-way route serving motorists from Cikampek traveling to
Bogor or Pondok Indah.

Tito said PT Jasa Marga would not collect tolls on the route
during this temporary opening, and urged motorists to drive with
caution because work was still being done on several parts of the
road.

Meanwhile, the police said that motorcycles were using the
route but officers were powerless to stop them.

"We cannot do anything because the route is not fully a toll
road yet. For now, all we can do is watch them and try and
prevent any accidents," Brig. Suparman told the Post.

Motorcycles are illegal on all toll roads.

The 8.2-kilometer Hankam-Cikunir toll road has faced numerous
difficulties since work began on it in the early 1990s. Many
residents affected by the project refused to accept compensation
for their land because they did not fell they were receiving a
fair price.

Several residents went so far as to erect huts in the middle
of the completed toll road to protest what they felt was their
unfair treatment by the government.