Why the MBZ Elevated Toll Road Has No Rest Areas

JAKARTA — The elevated Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) toll road, also known as the Jakarta-Cikampek II Elevated tollway, stretches approximately 39 kilometres and was intentionally designed without rest areas from the outset of its construction.

This design decision formed part of a traffic separation strategy with the underlying Jakarta-Cikampek toll road below.

According to Jasa Marga Chief Executive Officer Rivan A. Purwantono, the elevated toll road was constructed to separate vehicle flows, making journeys smoother and safer.

“The MBZ is indeed 39 kilometres designed with no rest areas because this is part of the separation strategy between the lower Jakarta-Cikampek road and others,” Rivan said during a press conference in Bekasi, West Java, on Tuesday (10 March 2026).

Rivan also explained the reasoning behind limiting vehicles using the toll road to Class I vehicles, or small vehicles only.

“From the 12 per cent of vehicles above Class I — namely Class II and III — they cause approximately 84 per cent of accidents. For this reason, vehicles using the road are restricted to Class I for safety purposes,” Rivan said.

He added that based on operational experience, the MBZ toll road is typically used by drivers at the beginning of their journeys, meaning the need to stop at rest areas is relatively minimal.

“The MBZ is usually at the start of a journey, so drivers generally do not immediately need rest areas because they have already prepared for their journey,” he said.

Although lacking rest areas, Rivan stated that drivers can still use facilities available on the underlying Jakarta-Cikampek toll road sections, including at the 57-kilometre mark.

According to him, toll road management and traffic police coordinate to ensure vehicle distribution continues to operate effectively.