Underpass work leads to detours

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After the long weekend, Jakartans passing through Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, will have to get used to heavy congestion due to the ongoing construction of an underpass in the area.

The Jakarta Transportation Agency said in a release that it would also build two more underpasses on Jl. Raya Pasar Minggu, connecting it with Jl. Tanjung Barat and Jl. Ragunan Raya respectively.

A one-kilometer long line of cars was backed up on Tuesday morning along Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda in Pondok Indah leading to the Rp 30 billion (US$3.23 million) underpass project, which is opposite the Pondok Indah Mall, news portal Detik.com reported.

The construction of the underpass, undertaken by developer PT Metropolitan Kentjana, is intended to make way for the expansion of the mall into vacant land across the road. The mall extension, which will cost Rp 800 billion, will be connected to the mall using two suspended arcades.

The agency recommends that motorists avoid the junction, where the number of lanes will be reduced to make way for the construction work.

Instead of traveling through Pondok Indah, motorists heading from Bintaro, South Jakarta, to Jl. Fatmawati may go via Jl. Radio Dalam or along the southern section of Jl. TB Simatupang.

Vehicles heading from north to south via Pondok Indah are recommended to avoid Jl. Metro Pondok Indah and travel via Jl. Radio Dalam and Jl. Fatmawati instead.

As for motorists affected by the work on the Pasar Minggu underpass , alternative routes are via Warung Buncit, Mampang Prapatan and Jl. Kapt. Tendean. They can also use the inner city toll road leading to the Jagorawi toll road and TB Simatupang toll road.

The capital has seen a number of road improvements this year. Four projects, namely the underpasses at Senen, Central Jakarta, Cawang, East Jakarta, and Tomang, West Jakarta, as well as an overpass on Jl. Daan Mogot, also in West Jakarta, will be operational by the end of the year.