Severe Traffic Congestion Leads to Closure of Eastern Sumatra Expressway between Jambi and Palembang
The Traffic Directorate (Ditlantas) of the Jambi Regional Police has diverted homebound holiday traffic from the Eastern Sumatra Expressway (Jalintim) on the Jambi-Palembang route to alternative roads due to severe congestion in the area.
Road access in the Musi Banyuasin and Banyuasin regions has experienced prolonged traffic jams stretching tens of kilometres over the past two days. According to social media recordings on TikTok and X platforms, the Jalintim remained heavily congested and crawling on Tuesday morning, 18 March.
Homebound travellers have been redirected to western and central alternative routes to relieve congestion on the Jalintim heading from Jambi towards Palembang since Monday night, 17 March.
“This policy was adopted following a significant increase in vehicle density on this route during the Eid return migration period,” said Erlan Munaji, Head of Public Relations at Jambi Regional Police, as quoted by Antara news agency.
The traffic diversion represents a follow-up to directives from the National Police Traffic Commander to maintain security, safety, order and traffic flow during the holiday return period.
Alternative routes
Traffic authorities have been instructed to temporarily close the Eastern Expressway heading from Jambi towards Palembang for homebound vehicles and direct drivers towards prepared alternative routes.
All homebound vehicles originating from Aceh, North Sumatra, and Riau heading to Palembang or Java are being fully redirected via the Western-Central Expressway. Two alternative options have been provided by police.
The first option for drivers seeking time efficiency with access to toll roads at the end of their journey is the route Jambi-Sarolangun-Lubuk Linggau-Musi Rawas-Lahat-Prabumulih-Palembang. Upon reaching Prabumulih, drivers can utilise the Prabumulih-Palembang Toll Road to expedite their journey to the city centre.
The second option for drivers preferring toll-free routes is the Central Route: Jambi-Sarolangun-Lubuk Linggau-Musi Rawas-Sekayu-Betung-Palembang.
In implementation, police units have undertaken various operational measures including deploying additional personnel at checkpoints and major intersections to direct vehicles.
Additionally, temporary directional banners and signposts have been installed at the Riau-Jambi border and other traffic diversion points.
The Traffic Police units have also been requested to massively publicise this traffic diversion through social media and mass media so the public can adjust their travel routes and avoid being trapped in congestion on the Eastern Expressway.
Police have also conducted intensive coordination with Sarolangun Police and Musi Rawas Utara Police from South Sumatra Regional Police to ensure the readiness of the Central Route to handle the surge in homebound vehicle volumes.
This traffic diversion measure was undertaken as an effort to reduce traffic congestion whilst providing comfort for travellers undertaking the holiday return journey.
“This traffic diversion policy represents a strategic step to relieve vehicle congestion on the Eastern Sumatra Expressway experiencing significant increases,” said the official.
According to detikSumbagsel, Adi Benny Cahyono, Traffic Director of Jambi Regional Police, stated that the closure of the Jalintim began Monday evening. To ensure the closure, officers were deployed to assist in vehicle checks at several points.
“Checkpoint points are at Muaro Sebapo Toll Gate and Pijoan, including on arterial roads in the Muaro Jambi area at the Jambi-Palembang border,” Cahyono said on Monday evening.