Residents Urge East Jakarta City Government to Repair Collapsed Road in Pulogadung

Jakarta - Residents in the Jalan Kayu Mas Utara area, Pulogadung, East Jakarta, are urging the City Government (Pemkot) to promptly repair the collapsed road that has occurred over the past week to avoid hindering the mobility of motorists intending to pass through.

“I hope this collapsed road gets repaired soon because it’s dangerous for us,” said Kasiyah, a resident of RT 11/RW 03 Pulogadung, East Jakarta, when met at the location on Thursday.

According to Kasiyah, the severely damaged road conditions can endanger the safety of road users and disrupt the daily activities of the community.

To date, the road cannot be traversed by cars. Even motorbike riders can only pass through the remaining side of the road in a limited manner.

Kasiyah is concerned that this condition could trigger accidents if not addressed immediately. Moreover, the road’s condition is already very worrying due to suspected holes and fragility.

“It’s already bad; underneath it seems full of holes. I’m afraid if passed over, it will collapse even more,” said Kasiyah.

Residents have also taken the initiative to install barriers and warning signs around the location to prevent and alert vehicles intending to pass through in order to avoid accident risks.

“It’s already fenced off so no one passes through. If forced, it’s dangerous,” said Kasiyah.

According to Kasiyah, the road collapse is disrupting residents’ mobility. Many motorists are forced to turn back because they cannot cross the road, especially four-wheeled vehicles.

“Cars can’t pass anymore, so people are turning back. Activities are disrupted,” said Kasiyah.

In addition, residents are worried that if the road condition is left unaddressed without repairs, it could worsen the damage, especially during high rainfall.

Residents claim to have reported the incident to the Pulo Gadung Sub-district office. Personnel from the Public Facilities and Infrastructure Handling (PPSU) have also reportedly visited the location several times to conduct checks.

However, several days after the incident, no repairs have been observed.

Another resident, Kasan (46), requested that the city government improve routine road maintenance to prevent road damage before it collapses.

“If checked frequently, it might be detected earlier, so it doesn’t collapse like this,” said Kasan.

Kasan suspects one cause of the damage is suboptimal road drainage, causing rainwater to erode the soil structure beneath the road.

“When it rains heavily, the water pools. That might also make the underside fragile,” said Kasan.

Kasan hopes the East Jakarta City Government can enhance the road maintenance programme periodically, including routine inspections and quick handling of minor damage.

Observations at the collapsed road location on Jalan Kayu Mas Utara, Pulogadung, show it is quite severely damaged and cannot yet be traversed by four-wheeled vehicles.

The collapsed section forms a fairly deep depression with a broken and uneven asphalt surface.

Around the collapse point, simple barriers installed by residents are visible to block road access.

The barriers are made from simple materials, such as bamboo and boards, and are equipped with warning signs to prevent motorists from passing through.

Several motorbike riders are still seen passing carefully on the remaining side of the road. They are forced to slow down and take turns when passing due to the narrow road space.

Meanwhile, cars cannot cross the road and must seek alternative routes or turn back.

The area around the location appears relatively quiet from vehicle traffic compared to usual days.