New toll road project starts

JAKARTA (JP): The Minister of Public Works, Radinal Moochtar, led a ground breaking ceremony launching the construction of the Cikampek-Purwakarta-Padalarang toll road yesterday.

The ceremony, taking place at the Kalihurip village in Cikampek, West Java, was attended by the president of the Citra Group, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.

"It is the first toll road project involving foreign investment. I hope that things will run smoothly," she said.

PT Citra Ganesha Marga Nusantara of the Citra Group, in cooperation with Trafalgar House Construction of England, is the investor for the 66 kilometer turnpike.

The project, at a cost of US$640 million, is scheduled for completion in 2000.

The project has two stages. The first stage is the construction of the Cikampek-Purwakarta segment, which will be completed in 1998. The second stage will involve the Purwakarta- Padalarang segment.

The toll road is expected to boost industrial development in West Java, the Vice Governor of West Java, Ukman Sutaryan, was quoted by Antara as saying. (sur)