New turnpike in S. Jakarta ready for public opening
New turnpike in S. Jakarta ready for public opening
JAKARTA (JP): A new turnpike connecting Jagorawi toll road to
Pondok Pinang in South Jakarta would be ready to operate once the
presidential decree on its fees was issued, a toll road executive
said yesterday.
Sudiro Wignyodipuro, director of PT Marga Nurindo Bhakti,
which would operate the toll road, said the turnpike would help
cut severe traffic congestion in the Taman Mini junction area.
"Once the new toll road starts operating, there will be no
need for motorists to line up for hours just to get to the office
or return home," Sudiro said.
He said once the toll road started operating, traffic flow
from Cawang heading to Lenteng Agung, Fatmawati, Pondok Indah and
Lebak Bulus could directly enter Dukuh 1 toll gate from the main
Taman Mini toll gate without the need to leave the toll road
through the east Taman Mini toll gate.
In addition, traffic from Pondok Pinang, Fatmawati and Lenteng
Agung could directly enter Jagorawi toll road heading to Cawang
and Tanjung Priok through Dukuh 2 toll gate, he said.
"After its operation, the junction will become the biggest in
the country," Sudiro said.
The new turnpike is part of construction of 26.74 kilometers
of the Jakarta outer ring road connecting Pondok Pinang and
Pondok Indah in South Jakarta to Cikunir in East Jakarta.
"The whole outer ring road we are building is expected to be
completed in line with its schedule -- by the year 2000," Sudiro
said.
Loans
Marga Nurindo has operated the 14.25-kilometer Pondok Pinang-
Jagorawi toll road since September 1996 and is constructing
another 12.49-kilometer toll road connecting Jagorawi to Cikunir.
For the construction of the entire Jakarta outer ring road, it
is estimated that the company will spend Rp 600 billion (US$195.9
million) with help from both local and foreign loans.
When asked whether the current monetary crisis would raise the
project's cost, Sudiro said: "I regard the current monetary
crisis as a 'natural disaster'. I can't say whether there will be
a raise in investment."
The construction cost excludes the funds needed to pay land
compensation, which was earlier estimated to be Rp 200 billion,
for people whose land will be affected by the project.
In the initial plan, the Ministry of Public Works was in
charge of paying land compensation, but due to limited funds, the
private investor is required to share the obligation.
The private investor is then granted a longer concession
period than earlier allowed, from the initial 29.5 years to 43
years.
Sudiro said yesterday that the company had no plan to ask the
government to extend the concession period. "We haven"t thought
about it yet," he said.
Go public
On the same occasion, Sudiro also revealed the plan that Marga
Nurindo would sell its shares to the public next year.
"So, anyone interested in buying our shares can buy them on
the stock market," Sudiro said.
He was referring to reports that publicly listed toll road
operator PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada -- which is controlled
by President Soeharto's eldest daughter, Siti "Tutut" Hardiyanti
Rukmana -- planned to take over PT Bhaskara Dunia Jaya's stake in
Marga Nurindo Bhakti.
Marga Nurindo, in which Tutut is president commissioner, is 38
percent owned by PT Investa Kusuma Artha, 25 percent by PT
Bhaskara Dunia Jaya, 10 percent by state-owned toll road operator
PT Jasa Marga, 10 percent by Marga Strukturindo Raya, 10 percent
by Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada and the remaining 7 percent by PT
Hanurata Coy Ltd. (ste)