West Sumatra Provincial Government Maintains Closure of Malalak Road for Migrant Safety
The West Sumatra Provincial Government has decided to maintain closure of the West Sumatra provincial road linking Padang City and Bukittinggi City via Sicincin–Malalak–Balingka for the safety of holiday travellers.
Budi Setia, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Supervisor at PT Hutama Karya Infrastruktur (HKI), stated when contacted in Malalak, Agam, West Sumatra on Monday that the road closure is necessitated by ongoing repairs following a hydrometeorological disaster that occurred in late November 2025.
He further noted that the road section from Koto Mambang to Balingka and vice versa can actually be traversed by certain vehicles outside operational hours, but such access is only intended for local residents.
However, despite workers halting work five days before Idul Fitri, the road remains closed to migrant travellers for safety reasons. “The Koto Mambang–Malalak route via Balingka is not yet safe to open as there are still areas prone to landslides,” Budi stated.
Budi added that the road closure was made in accordance with recommendations from the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) during a cross-sector coordination meeting at Bukittinggi Police Resort.
Road work will resume at full capacity on 29 March, with completion targeted for December 2026 according to the Work Order.
The Malalak route is frequently used by holiday travellers as an alternative route to avoid the implementation of one-way traffic systems in the run-up to Idul Fitri.
The previously severed road is now passable in its entirety, although work has not yet reached the asphalt stage. Damage from high rainfall in November 2025 remains visible at several points, notably at kilometre 82, where the road surface has subsided for approximately 200 to 300 metres.
Incomplete work is also evident at kilometre markers 82, 80, and 79. PT HKI, the contractor responsible for the project, has implemented temporary closures by placing barricades and warning signs to prevent vehicles from using the route.