Investors urged to speed up toll road project

Agnes S. Jayakarna and Achmad Faizal ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  SURABAYA   |  Wed, 04/01/2009 2:57 PM  |  National

Pubic Works Minister Joko Kirmanto has urged investors to speed up the construction of the 37-kilometer Surabaya-Mojokerto toll road project, after visiting the site Monday in Waru on the border between Surabaya and Sidoarjo.

This was Joko's third visit to the project, which had been held up several times. The minister said he hope the construction would proceed uninterrupted.

"This is my third time visiting a similar gathering here in order to open and speed up the project development. I hope this is the last time we hold such a gathering, and I hope the project will run well and finish on time," he said, adding he was optimistic there would be no more management problems.

"I hoped the toll road later will later benefit all people in the country, especially those in East Java, and will help speed up the economic growth in the province."

Joko asked investors to work on time and also conduct fair payment when procuring land for the project. By doing so, he said, the project was assured of running well.

"However, if problems do arise during the land procurement process, the project management can apply the necessary regulations in order to smooth the project development," he said, adding there was a presidential decree and other related regulations that could be used to smooth the land procurement process.

East Java assistant for economic affairs Choirul Djaelani, on behalf of Governor Soekarwo, encouraged the project management to continue the development, with 51 percent of the total required project area already purchased.

Djajat Sudrajat, director of PT Marga Nujyasumo Agung, a subsidiary of state toll road operator PT Jasa Marga, said the Rp 2.9 trillion (US$ 263 million) project involved three banks - BRI, BNI and Bukopin - and three companies - Jasa Marga, PT Wijaya Karya and PT Moeladi - as the investors.

The project is divided into five sections: section IA focuses on the 2.3-kilometer Waru-Sepanjang route, section IB on the 4.3-kilometer Sepanjang-western ring road route, section II on the 5.07-kilometer western ring road-Driyorejo route, section III on the 6.1-kilometer Driyorejo-Krian route, and section IV on the 16.28-kilometer Krian-Mojokerto route.

The Surabaya-Mojokerto toll road is part of East Java's 10 sections of expressway spanning a total of 516 kilometers. Of this total, only the 13.6-kilometer Waru-Juanda toll road has so far been completed.

Besides discussing the Surabaya-Mojokerto toll road, the meeting also touched on seven other projects still in limbo due to a gamut of problems, including management and land procurement issues.

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