Traffic Protocol for Mudik and Lebaran Return 2026 at Bawen-Ambarawa Toll Road

JAKARTA — Those who have been stuck at the Bawen intersection during peak Lebaran mudik travel know the frustration of being trapped amid logistics trucks and inter-city buses. The road’s steep inclines and sharp descents worsen the situation; a single vehicle breakdown can trigger a domino effect causing congestion to stretch for kilometres.

This situation is expected to be alleviated by the newly opened Bawen-Ambarawa section, known as Section 6, which is an extension of the Jogja-Bawen toll road.

“Based on traffic figures, around 18,000 vehicles traverse Bawen. We estimate 7,000 vehicles will use the Bawen-Ambarawa segment. This is significant for reducing congestion at the Bawen intersection, which has experienced slowdowns due to crossings,” said Dwi Winarsa at the Ambarawa toll gate on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.

The toll gate will only be opened when congestion indicators at the lower intersection reach critical levels.

Technically, Jasa Marga has divided the functional lanes into two main phases:

The mudik (homecoming) phase begins on 13 March 2026, using the Ambon lane. Vehicles from Semarang or existing toll routes will be directed continuously towards Ambarawa and exiting directly onto the Ambarawa outer ring road for smoother flow.

The return phase, beginning 23 March 2026, uses the Bandung lane. Return traffic from Ambarawa to Bawen will re-enter the Trans-Java toll network.

Dwi Winarsa acknowledged that visibility and minor finishing works were the main concerns. “Because this is functional, not all finishing works are complete. There are limitations with lighting that has not been fully installed. These restrictions are purely for road user safety,” he stated.

Ahead of mudik, the overall construction progress of Section 6 has reached 90 per cent, with remaining work on minor aspects such as drainage channels and landscaping.

“However, the real challenge is the extreme March weather that could cause new potholes or reduce visibility,” Winarsa added.