Motorists Routed Around Roadworks in South Jakarta
Ulma Haryanto. The Jakarta Globe, Jakarta - 10/01/2011
Traffic is being rerouted to help prevent crippling gridlock near construction for an elevated bypass to link South Jakarta’s Blok M to Antasari areas.
According to the Jakarta Police’s Traffic Management Center Web site, traffic in the area has been re-routed since Sunday, beginning from the traffic lights on Jalan Kemang Raya through to Jalan Prapanca at Pangudi Luhur School and toward Jalan Dharmawangsa Raya.
Sr. Comr. Royke Lumowa, chief of the city’s traffic police, told the Jakarta Globe via text message that alternative routes had been set up for vehicles approaching the city from the south.
He said traffic should turn left at Jalan Cipete Utara toward Jalan Fatmawati, or turn left at Jalan Taman Brawijaya, then right on Jalan Brawijaya III toward Jalan Brawijaya Raya.
The head of the Jakarta Transportation Office, Udar Pristono, said the city wanted to minimize the number of private vehicles going toward Blok M.
“Due to construction work for the Blok M-Antasari elevated road, a number of roads will definitely be congested during work hours. We therefore advise people to stay away from the construction zone,” he said. “We shall close off these areas at night for the installation of steel poles and to load and unload construction material from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.”
Udar advised motorists take alternative routes through South Jakarta, along Jalan Fatmawati and Jalan Ampera.
Aside from the elevated road, the city was also working on an underpass on Jalan Trunojoyo, which might cause further congestion in South Jakarta, he added.
Udar has previously said the capital was in dire need of elevated roads in order to add road space and smooth traffic flow.
The Blok M-Antasari elevated road is one of two roads, each about 7.5 kilometers long, to be built to deal with increasing traffic in the capital. The other bypass will link Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta to Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta.
The first phase of the Blok M-Antasari bypass will run 5.5 km, from the National Police Grounds in Blok M to Cipete Market, and is expected to cost Rp 1.3 trillion ($145 million). Funding for both roads will come from the regional budget.
The elevated road will rise 12 meters above street level and be nine meters wide.
The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by mid-2012.
About 890 new motorcycles and 240 cars are registered with the Jakarta Police every day, equating to an 11 percent increase in the number of vehicles in the city every year.
The existing road network, meanwhile, is expanding by just 0.01 percent a year.
The city administration’s official news Web site, BeritaJakarta.com, meanwhile, has recommended motorists take the following routes toward Blok M: Jalan Cipete Raya-Jalan Fatmawati-Jalan Panglima Polim-Jalan Melawai-Jalan Tirtayasa; Jalan Puri Mutiara-Jalan Benda-Jalan Kemang Raya-Jalan Bangka; Jalan Puri Mutiara-Jalan Benda-Jalan Kemang Raya-Jalan Prapanca I-Jalan Panglima Polim IX-Jalan Panglima Polim Raya; and Jalan Cipete Raya-Jalan H. Junaidi-Jalan Damai-Jalan Panglima Polim IX-Jalan Panglima Polim Raya.