Inaugurating Kretek II Bridge: President: Java southern highway to complete this year
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Investor Daily - Resmikan Jembatan Kretek II: Presiden: Jalur lintas selatan Jawa rampung tahun ini
5 June 2023
By: Amrozi Amenan and Tri Murti
Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is targeting Java Southern Highway to be completed this year. The government has completed the Java Southern Highway sections in Banten, West Java, and Central Java, but the project’s construction still remains in Yogyakarta and East Java.
“Only a little bit more in Yogyakarta. This year, inshallah (God willing) it will be completed. Only 14 kilometres remain. In East Java, less than 24 kilometres remain. Inshallah, we will complete it this year,” the President said at Kretek II Bridge in Bantul at the inauguration of the bridge on Friday (2/6/2023).
The Head of State with Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, and Bantul Regent Abdul Halim inaugurated Kretek II Bridge. “By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, this morning, I am inaugurating Kretek II Bridge in Bantul Regency in Yogyakarta Province,” the President stated. Kretek II Bridge is located on top of Opak River and connects Tirtohargo Village to Parangtritis Village in Kretek, Bantul, Yogyakarta. Kretek II Bridge that is located on top of Opak River spans 556 metres and has four lanes. It was constructed by the PUPR Ministry with a budget of Rp364 billion. The President said that the construction of this bridge was part of Java Southern Highway or Java Southern Coastal Highway (Pansela) that spans from Banten to East Java. The President hopes that improving connectivity on the southern route will sustain logistics mobility. Besides that, the Southern Highway is expected to reduce the gap with other regions in Java with a better economic potential.
“We hope that the speed of the mobility of logistics, passengers, and goods can improve thanks to the Southern Highway. The competitiveness of products that are produced in southern Java can improve,” Jokowi said.
On a separate occasion, PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that the construction Java Pansela was expected to improve tourism potential in the southern coast and to reduce the economic gap between the northern coast and the southern coast.
“We are continuously promoting Java Pansela so that people are interested to go through the south. Not only the roads are nice, but the view is also beautiful. There are also many tourism objects,” Basuki Hadimuljono said.
Highways Director General of the PUPR Ministry Hedy Rahadian said that the construction of Kretek II Bridge that spans 2.7 km took two years from 2021 to 2023, crossing Opak River.
“The construction uses the lead rubber bearing (LRB) technology to reduce the impact of earthquakes. It is also fitted with other earthquake anticipation technologies,” he said.
On the other hand, Hedy Rahadian revealed that, from 2015 to 2023, new non-toll national road construction in Indonesia reached 5,386 km, while toll road construction reached 2,948 km throughout Indonesia. National roads that span 47,603,39 km are the backbone of the road network in Indonesia. There are also provincial roads that span 46,880.12 km and regency/city roads that span 421,124.79 km.
“The road network is expected to support production areas with distribution by facilitating access to tourism areas, boosting new job opportunities, and accelerating the added value of the people’s economy,” Hedy said to Investor Daily this week.
On a separate occasion, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati also revealed that the length of national roads increased by 1,385 km to 47,817 km in 2022. Not only main roads, the total length of provincial and regency/city roads also increased from 464,280 km to 501,355 km.
“The construction of vital infrastructures increased significantly, quantitatively and qualitatively. The length of roads increased by 1,385 km from 46,432 km in 2014 to 47,817 km in 2022,” Sri Mulyani said recently.
The length of toll roads also increased by around 1,500 km from 930 km in 2014 to 2,499 km in 2022. She also revealed that 1,800 km of projects were still ongoing.
Not only road infrastructure, but dams also increased by 27 from 2014. More dams mean more power plant capacity that has increased by more than 20 gigawatts. Besides that, irrigation capacity also increased from 110 thousand hectares in 2014 to 303 thousand hectares in 2022.
Furthermore, Sri Mulyani said that the expenditure policy for 2024 was directed to complete strategic priority projects that include IKN development, basic infrastructure and connectivity provision, and the 2024 election implementation.
Rp203.5 trillion
Meanwhile, this year, the budget to handle national roads and regional roads (toll and non-toll roads) is allocated Rp203.5 trillion. The budget allocates Rp87.4 trillion for national roads, Rp13.8 trillion for new roads spanning 693 km, Rp4.7 trillion for bridge construction spanning 16,076 metres, Rp22.2 trillion for road preservation spanning 50,299 km, Rp3.5 trillion for bridge preservation spanning 549.857 metres, Rp14.6 trillion for regional road rehabilitation or reconstruction, and Rp5.5 trillion for toll roads.
“Out of that amount, Sumatra receives the largest allocation,” Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said.
Then, land procurement for roads is allocated Rp23 trillion, Trans-Sumatra Toll Road (JTT) phase II (state equity participation/PMN) is allocated Rp28.9 trillion, regional roads through physical special allocation fund (DAK) are allocated Rp12.6 trillion, and regional roads through the regional budget (APBD) or the transfer to regions (TKD) are allocated Rp74.6 trillion.
