Toll road construction begins

JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Road Development Suharsono Martakim broke ground yesterday in Semarang, Central Java, to mark the start of the construction of a 9.75-kilometer toll road segment leading to the Tanjung Emas port.

He said at the ground breaking ceremony that the road segment, which will link the port and Jatingaleh in South Semarang, will cost Rp 156.82 billion (US$68.9 million).

The project manager of the toll road, Mudjono, said in his report that the cost will include Rp 106.99 billion for its construction, Rp 6.12 billion for land appropriation and Rp 43.71 billion for interest payments.

The segment, when completed, will be connected to the Jatingaleh-Srondol highway, which has been in operation since 1983.

Suharsono was quoted by Antara as saying that the construction of the Tanjung Emas-Jatingaleh road is scheduled for completion by October 1998.

The road will be constructed by PT Adhi Karya, a state-owned construction company.

Indonesia now has some 475 kilometers of toll roads.(31)