Public Works Minister: Lembah Anai Toll Road to reduce traffic congestion

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said the plan to build the Lembah Anai toll road in West Sumatra is intended to reduce traffic congestion. ‘It is to reduce traffic, and moreover the Lembah Anai national road is actually, personally, not feasible anymore due to the cliff, so if heavy rain for 4-5 hours I am confident another landslide will occur,’ Dody said in Jakarta on Friday.

‘The plan to build the Lembah Anai toll road is a necessity because traffic is quite high and the difficulty level is also substantial since it will require tunnelling. The initial plan was to use Hutama Karya, but there are several technical requirements that will be set by the Director General of Bina Marga in cooperation with the Head of BPJT. Later I will follow the directives of the Dirjen. Whoever wants to participate can, as long as it’s fast,’ he said.

Dody added that the toll road project is hoped to begin this year, considering it has been approved by the Indonesian President. ‘It should start this year. It has been approved by the President. Because when the President was on a site visit, we had briefed him and he said, “Okay, go ahead,”’ he said.

As information, the Ministry of Public Works (PU) plans a long-term alternative route to connect the Padang–Bukittinggi corridor to ease the burden on the Lembah Anai area, Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, which has long been the main link between the two areas. This is because the Padang–Bukittinggi route via Lembah Anai has suffered two major damages, or total closures, in the last two years, specifically due to flash floods in May 2024 and November 2025.

Dody said that in recent months the Ministry has planned to accelerate toll road development, namely from Padang-Sicincin towards Padang Panjang and on to Bukittinggi. The biggest problem, he said, is that the project must include a tunnel that cuts through a fairly tall hill in the Lembah Anai area.

Additionally, other alternatives should include a flyover around the Lembah Anai waterfall due to the water frequently overflowing onto the road during the rainy season. However, he assured that the ministry would strive to move quickly with feasibility studies, Detailed Engineering Design (DED), etc., so that physical construction can begin in 2026, as weather conditions are unpredictable and may worsen.