Sumatran highways in poor condition
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandar Lampung
The poor condition of three highways that connect Sumatra with Java threatens the safety of motorists and those traveling to their hometowns on the two islands for the Idul Fitri and Christmas holidays.
Millions of motorists and holidaymakers will have to be extra careful because sections of the west, central and east highways in Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra are badly damaged and threatened by landslides and flood.
The 123-kilometer section of the west highway connecting Bukit Kemuning in North Lampung with Liwa in West Lampung, and the 82- kilometer section connecting Krui in West Lampung with Bengkulu are prone to landslides and floods.
"Entering the rainy season, motorists and holidaymakers must be extra alert because sections of the west highway located in mountainous areas could be paralyzed by landslides and floods," Jhonson Napitupulu, chief of the Bina Marga road and bridge office in Bandar Lampung, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
He said the condition of the west highway was very poor and several sections of the highway had yet to be asphalted because of the limited budget for infrastructure development in the province.
Edi Waluyo, chief of the Bina Marga office in Bengkulu, said hundreds of buses and cars were stranded in South Bengkulu after the section of the west highway connecting Manna, Linau and Merpas were paralyzed by landslides on Monday.
Cranes and trucks have been deployed to clear thousands of tons of mud and stones from the road, he said.
"There were no casualties in the landslides but it has disturbed the flow of land transportation from and to Bengkulu," he said.
The section of road connecting Manna and Muara Asal is also prone to landslides, he said.
"Also, earthquakes are a serious threat to land transportation, as has been seen several times in the past," he added.
The 965-kilometer west highway running from Bakauheni in Lampung to Lubuk Pinang in Bengkulu meets the central highway in West Sumatra. It is an alternative route for motorists traveling Java to central and northern Sumatra.
Many motorists and holidaymakers are expected to take the central highway from Bakauheni, central and northern Lampung to Lahat and Muaraenim in South Sumatra, Bangko in Jambi, Solok and Bukit Tinggi in West Sumatra, and Tarutung, Pematang Siantar and Medan in North Sumatra.
According to monitors in the field, sections of the highways in Lampung, South Sumatra and central Sumatra, including the highway between Padang Sidempuan and Tarutung in North Sumatra, are badly damaged.
Vehicles on the central highway in Lampung frequently have to slow their speeds significantly because of major potholes.
Jhonson also called on motorists to be careful when traveling along the Baturaja-Lahat-Sarolangun highway, which he said was prone to robberies.
"It is better for motorists to avoid traveling at night along this section of highway because most robbers work at night," he said.
The 3,000-kilometer east highway connecting cities in eastern Sumatra between Bakauheni in South Lampung and Banda Aceh in Nagggroe Aceh Darussalam is also badly damaged in some sections.
The most damaged sections ranging from Lampung to Palembang in South Sumatra, and Jambi and Pekanbaru in Riau.
"The highway's damaged sections has a lot to do with the unstable land it was built on, overloaded trucks and the limited budget for repair work," said Jhonson.
Traffic accidents are common because of major potholes along the highway, and many bus drivers take the central highway because of the poor condition of the east highway, he said.
Jhonson said the local administration, in cooperation with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, had allocated Rp 554 billion to repair the 204-kilometer road connecting Ketapang in South Lampung to Pematangpanggang in South Sumatra.
"The repair project is to start in the middle of December and is expected to finish in June 2003," he said.