Pondok Pinang-Kebon Jeruk toll road project starts

JAKARTA (JP): The construction of the outer ring tollroad segment running from Pondok Pinang (South Jakarta) to Kebon Jeruk (West Jakarta) started yesterday with the ground breaking by Public Works Minister Radinal Moochtar.

The ground breaking ceremony took place on Jl. Garuda, Bintaro, South Jakarta. Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, president of the Citra Group, which controls PT Citra Mataram Satriamarga Persada, the consortium in charge of the 11.17 kilometer road project, was present at the ceremony.

The consortium consists of PT Jasa Marga (the state-owned highway corporation) which holds 15% of the shares, PT Mataram Citra Binangun, a subsidiary of PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada, with 50%, PT Tridan Satria Putra with 15% and PT Baskara Dunia Jaya and Yayasan (Foundation) Tiara Indah with 10% shares each.

"Total investment is Rp 717 billion (US$308.38 million)," Bambang Suroso, vice director of Citra Group said.

The total includes the cost of land appropriation amounting to Rp 181 billion, while the construction project alone will swallow around Rp 236 billion. The rest of the money will be used for administration.

Hardiyanti Rukmana, daughter of President Soeharto, said that the land appropriation had been carried out based on regulations by the city administration. "The compensation is not too small, because we don't want to make the residents suffer a loss. The compensation is also not too high, because we don't want the toll road users paying too much for the toll once the highway is completed."

Bambang said the consortium would be given a 35-year concession, which includes the three-year construction period.

The new toll road will start in Pondok Indah and will end at the Kebon Jeruk junction in West Jakarta. The segment will be an alternative route for drivers heading from the west and the Jakarta-Merak road to Jakarta.

Minister Radinal said during the ceremony that contractors, both foreign and local, must be careful to avoid any unexpected accidents, which could cause deaths, probably referring to the recent collapse of an overpass in Grogol, West Jakarta, which claimed three lives. (04/sur)