Palur-Sragen Thoroughfare Elevated to Prevent Flooding
The Great Office of National Road Implementation in Central Java–Yogyakarta Special Region, under the Ministry of Public Works, is carrying out road improvements on the Palur-Sragen route. Novi Krisniawati, the Commitment-Making Official (PPK) for Central Java, stated that the work involves concrete road surfacing spanning 2 kilometres.
The road, previously asphalt-surfaced, has now been paved with 30-centimetre-thick concrete from kilometre 13 to kilometre 15 to mitigate flooding from irrigation water overflowing due to heavy rainfall. “In addition, work on this location was necessary because it had not been maintained for a long time,” she said during an inspection on the Solo-Sragen Highway, Waru Village, Kebakkramat District, Karanganyar Regency, on Thursday, 12 March 2026.
Novi explained that the upgraded road is a central route connecting Central Java Province to East Java and to Yogyakarta. The concrete surfacing was warranted given the road’s deteriorated condition, characterised by numerous potholes and other damage.
The road accommodates traffic ranging from motorcycles to heavy-duty trucks. Water does not penetrate the soil effectively because surrounding land has undergone conversion from rice fields to factories.
“We know that recent rainfall intensity was very high. Thankfully, no flooding occurred,” Novi said.
The road improvement project, valued at Rp 118.9 billion, is planned to cover 9 kilometres in total. The 2-kilometre stretch already completed has been made a priority to mitigate flooding during the Lebaran exodus and return periods. The project contract commenced in 2025 and is scheduled for handover from the contractor to the project owner on 2 April 2027.
Novi stated that road improvements will continue after Lebaran, including major rehabilitation with two-layer asphalt and minor work with single-layer asphalt. Water channels have also been fitted with U-ditch concrete design.
“Currently, we have achieved 41 per cent progress and there is a positive deviation of 16.7 per cent,” she said.