T

he government has pushed the construction of the 17.8 kilometer toll road, which will link North Sumatra’s capital of Medan with the planned Kuala Namu International Airport, to earlier than the initial schedule.

With a total investment of Rp 1.34 trillion (US$140.08 million), 90 percent of which will be from the Export-Import Bank of China and the remaining 10 percent from the state budget, the construction is planned take around three years.

“The construction will start early next year ... we expect to speed up the ground breaking to accelerate infrastructure development,” said Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto on Wednesday.

He urged the provincial governor to fully support the project because the land acquisition process along Medan–Kuala Namu section had only reached 53 percent.

He even asked the governor to visit the construction site on a regular basis to monitor the project’s
development.

“We need support from the Deli Serdang regent and [North Sumatra] governor to accelerate the land acquisition process. With their support, we hope that we can finish the project on time,” he added.

The project is part of 40 km route that will not only link Medan with the Kuala Namu airport, but also with the palm oil center of Tebing Tinggi.

The airport is currently still under construction on a 1,365-hectare plot of land in Deli Serdang regency, it has been designed to accommodate over 8 million passengers annually.

When the construction of the Rp 10.6 trillion airport is completed in February 2013, it will replace the Polonia Airport in Medan, which is located in a densely populated area.

“The people of North Sumatra have been waiting for access that will connect them with the new airport that is set to commence its operation in March 2013,” Gatot said.

Gatot believed that the toll road and the new airport would help boost the province’s economy in the near future.

Aside from the road and airport projects, the government is also attempting to speed up the construction of other key infrastructure, particularly toll road projects, in Java.

The Bina Marga director general Djoko Murjanto said five sections of the Trans-Java toll road were expected to be completed next year.

The projects include the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) W2, which will connect Kebon Jeruk and Ulujami section; Mojokerto and Kertosono first section; Surabaya and Mojokerto fourth section; Bawean and Ungaran section; and Tanjung Benoa-Ngurah Rai and Nusa Dua section.

“The toll road will help improve connectivity across Java and Bali. We are accelerating the process, together with the local governments and communities, we believe they will be completed in 2013,” he said.

According to the ministry, land acquisition process in all of the five sections has reached around 70 to 80 percent.