Viral 'Swapped' Lanes in Sidemen, Drivers Go Against Traffic to Avoid Potholes
The road linking Sidemen village in Karangasem to Klungkung is experiencing severe damage. The road has gone viral on TikTok because it causes many drivers to take the opposite lane to avoid potholes.
“Mystery of the swapped lanes. Have you ever passed through here?” wrote the video owner @_atih_.
In the video, the damaged road conditions combined with heavy truck traffic can be seen, causing several vehicles to frequently take the opposite lane to avoid potholes. Sand-laden trucks are said to often veer to the right, forcing smaller vehicles to yield.
In the video, the recorder protests that the conditions are very dangerous for drivers. The damaged road is known to stretch for approximately 15 kilometres (km). The road is filled with potholes and is said to often trigger accidents resulting in fatalities.
Sidemen Sub-District Head I Nyoman Swenegara confirmed the road damage. According to him, there are many pothole spots on the road that endanger drivers, especially since the route is traversed daily by trucks carrying C mining materials.
“The damage is quite severe from Padang Tunggal towards the Klungkung border. That stretch of road has also frequently gone viral on social media,” said Swenegara on Monday (11/5/2025).
He explained that since taking office as Sidemen Sub-District Head less than a year ago, he has reported the road conditions to the Bali Provincial Government (Pemprov Bali) twice because the road’s status falls under provincial authority. The Karangasem Regency Government (Pemkab Karangasem) has also repeatedly submitted similar reports urging immediate repairs.
“Because there are many severely potholed roads, if it can’t be repaired comprehensively yet, at least patch the pothole spots first so as not to endanger drivers. However, up to now, it has not been repaired,” said Swenegara.
Traffic accidents are said to occur quite frequently on the Sidemen-Klungkung route. Motorcyclists fall while avoiding potholes, and trucks suffer damage such as broken axles.
“Due to those conditions, accidents occur quite frequently along the Sidemen-Klungkung route. Falling while avoiding potholes or trucks experiencing broken axles,” said Swenegara.
In addition to being accident-prone, the route also often experiences congestion. Besides being triggered by vehicle incidents, several trucks are said to frequently park on the narrow roadside, obstructing traffic flow.
“Even though there are rest areas along the road, only a few trucks stop there; most choose to stop on the roadside,” said Swenegara.
The sub-district office hopes that the Bali Provincial Government will soon carry out repairs to prevent more road users from becoming victims due to the potholed road conditions.