Short overpass in Roxy for busway

Short overpass in Roxy for busway

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration has dropped its plan to construct a
2.2-kilometer overpass worth Rp 200 billion in Roxy, West
Jakarta.

Instead, it will start the construction of a shorter overpass
of 300 meters at the site, beginning this April.

"We have decided to drop the plan to build a longer overpass
since it is not feasible and too costly. Besides, the
construction of such a long overpass will completely paralyze the
already-congested traffic in that area for as long as it takes to
build," City Public Works Agency head Fodly Misbach told
reporters at City Hall.

The overpass will be built to make space for the new busway
lane, which goes through the relatively narrow Jl. Hasyim Ashari
in front of Roxy Mas shopping center.

The administration plans to start work on two busway corridors
this year linking Kalideres in West Jakarta to Harmoni in Central
Jakarta and Harmoni to Pulogadung in East Jakarta respectively.

Fodly said the construction of the overpass -- to cost Rp 60
billion -- would last for one year.

"Hopefully, we can start using the overpass in April 2006," he
said.

He said his agency would also widen the street from 30 meters
to 43 meters by scrapping on-street parking.

"We will expand the current two lanes in each direction to
four lanes," he said.

"But, since the street will still be too narrow to make way
for the busway lanes -- one in each direction -- we will let
private cars share the same lane as the busway lane," he added.

Aside from the two corridors, the administration will prepare
a study for four new busway corridors this year. In the 2005 city
budget, the agency has allocated money for the planning of four
more busway corridors.

For the planning of the new busway corridors, the agency
allocated between Rp 1.4 billion and Rp 3.1 billion each.

"The budget allocations for the planned corridors vary in
accordance to the level of difficulties," City Transportation
Agency head Rustam Effendi Sidabutar explained.

"We will start preparing the new busway routes. At the same
time, we will continue to focus on the development of the second
and third corridors, which should be operational by the middle of
2006," he added.

Rustam said the fourth and fifth busway routes would connect
the area of Kebon Jeruk in West Jakarta to Pasar Baru in Central
Jakarta and the planned bus terminal in Pulogebang in East
Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.

Rustam did not mention the six and the seventh routes.

To ensure that the busway projects run smoothly and orderly,
the agency has also allocated another Rp 3.6 billion for the
monitoring and control of the busway operations, and a further Rp
800 million for the preparation of a master plan for the busway
project using information technology.