PU Ministry Continues Trans Papua Road Construction on Jayapura–Wamena Section

The Ministry of Public Works (PU) is continuing construction of the Jayapura–Wamena Trans Papua Road as an effort to open up isolated mountain regions, strengthen connectivity, and promote equitable development in Papua. Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo stated that building roads and bridges is the foundation for strengthening connectivity between economic growth centres. “We are developing road and bridge networks connecting cities, islands, and underdeveloped regions across Indonesia to open access for investment, support industrial zones, drive growth in the tourism sector, and strengthen connectivity,” Dody said in Jakarta on Monday. The Jayapura–Wamena Road, specifically the Mamberamo–Elelim Segment, is being built as a main link to facilitate community mobility, reduce logistics costs, and lower the price of basic necessities in the Papua Pegunungan highlands, so that the benefits of development can be felt directly by the community. The 50.14 km Mamberamo–Elelim Segment, which connects Papua Province with Papua Pegunungan Province, is currently under construction. Its presence is expected to help children reach schools more easily, speed up patient access to health facilities, facilitate government services, and accelerate the distribution of basic necessities. With improved connectivity, freight costs are projected to decrease, making daily necessities—which have been relatively expensive due to difficult transport access—more affordable. Construction of the Jayapura–Wamena Road, Mamberamo–Elelim Segment, is being carried out through a Government and Business Entity Cooperation (KPBU) scheme with an Availability Payment (AP) mechanism. Construction work on this section began in July 2024 and is targeted for completion in November 2026. As of mid-July 2026, physical construction progress had reached 51.59 per cent, including work on road clearing and formation, pavement structure construction, drainage, bridges, complementary buildings, earthworks, slope protection, road equipment, and the construction of a Vehicle Weighing Implementation Unit (UPPKB). The construction of the Mamberamo–Elelim Segment presents different challenges compared to other regions in Indonesia. The route traverses mountainous terrain with steep cliffs, dense forests, high rainfall almost year-round, and potential natural disasters such as landslides. The mobilisation of heavy equipment and construction materials also requires special time and handling due to limited access to the work site. The Trans Papua Road construction also provides direct benefits to the surrounding community through the involvement of local labour. To date, a total of 116 local workers, or around 28 per cent of the total project workforce, have contributed to the construction process. This community involvement is part of efforts to empower the local economy while ensuring that infrastructure development provides benefits from the construction phase onwards. Through the construction of the Trans Papua Road, the Ministry of Public Works is not only building connectivity but also providing broader opportunities for the Papuan people to obtain basic services, foster economic activity, and improve welfare.