Residents Urge Acceleration of MT Haryono Road Repairs in Jakarta Ahead of 2026 Eid Holiday

Jakarta, 9 March 2026 — Residents are demanding accelerated repairs to pothole-ridden sections of MT Haryono Road in Pancoran, South Jakarta, ahead of the 2026 Eid holiday travel season.

The road serves as one of the primary routes connecting South and East Jakarta and experiences constant traffic congestion, particularly during holiday periods.

“We hope it gets fixed soon,” said Amin (39), a resident encountered at the location on Monday. “This is a major thoroughfare used daily by thousands, especially as Eid approaches. There’s no question it will be heavily congested.”

According to Amin, previous repair work has been inadequate. The cold-mix asphalt material used tends to deteriorate quickly.

“It’s been patched and patched before, only to be dug out and properly repaired later. When they use cold-mix asphalt patches, they just break apart again and become potholes within days. When it rains, they deteriorate immediately — sometimes within a day or two the holes reappear,” Amin explained.

Similar concerns were raised by Dedi (40), who emphasised the importance of comprehensive repairs, particularly during heavy rainfall. Hidden potholes in wet conditions frequently endanger motorcyclists.

He noted that vehicle damage — including steering damage, bent rims, and burst tyres — frequently results from pothole impacts.

However, he stressed that work cannot be rushed because hot-mix asphalt cannot be applied in wet conditions due to incompatibility with water. Work must await stable weather conditions and specially ordered hot-mix materials.

“It should be noted that asphalt or hot-mix is petroleum-based, and as we all know, water is petroleum’s greatest enemy,” said Rifki.

Additionally, Bina Marga continues to document all damaged roads nationwide for repairs to ensure public road safety.

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