The temporary closure of Central Java'€™s Comal Bridge in Pemalang has frustrated those taking part in the annual Idul Fitri exodus, who have begun to cram roads leading to various cities across the province.

Kasno, a resident of Jakarta who was taking six members of his family to Wonogiri in Central Java by car, said he left the capital city at dawn on Sunday and reached Comal by 9 a.m. He was redirected to an alternative route in the eastern part of Comal, to avoid the damaged bridge.

'€œWe spent four to five hours [on the alternative route]. We were trapped in traffic gridlock and were rerouted many times. It was very tiring. I can'€™t predict what time we will reach Wonogiri,'€ Kasno told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Two bridges stand side by side over the Comal River. The southern bridge has severely subsided by three meters. Meanwhile, the body of the northern bridge is still intact, so workers are focusing only on repairs to its oprit (a segment connecting the bridge to the highway), which is located next to the southern bridge.

Repairs to the Comal Bridge'€™s oprit, are being carried out day and night. Workers from the Public Works Agency'€™s Bina Marga directorate general are conducting repairs on the northern bridge.

'€œWe placed three sewers on the western side of the northern bridge to prevent heavy vehicles from burdening the oprit. We also installed a ground sill in the downstream area of the river, so the river would not take away material and erode the oprit area,'€ Bina Marga'€™s Operation Area II director Adriananda said at the construction site.

He said the oprit subsided because the foundations of its lower section were subject to river erosion, while the upper part shouldered the burden of passing vehicles.

Adriananda said his directorate would give its best effort to finish the repairs to the northern bridge.

'€œWe hope the northern bridge can be used by the exodus traffic three days prior to Idul Fitri. The southern bridge can no longer function and should undergo a total renovation. We don'€™t know when to repair it, but it should be after the end of the exodus,'€ he said.

The Comal Bridge, which was completed in November 2000, was closed when the foundations sank further on July 18, following a incidence of flooding in the Comal River in February, when the foundations suffered from inclination.

The damaged bridge has greatly affected the flow of holidaymakers traveling by road in Central Java. The province expects to see 7.9 million holidaymakers on the move during the exodus, according to Central Java'€™s Communication and Information Agency. The agency said some 70 percent of the province'€™s holidaymakers usually travel via Java'€™s northern coastal highway (Pantura), using various modes of transportation.

Meanwhile, the redirection of heavy vehicles to the southern part of Central Java has caused heavy congestion in the area.

Heavy vehicles from West Java take a route of Daya Luhur-Majenang-Rawalo-Banyumas-Klampok-Ngadirejo-Banjarnegara-Wonosobo-Temanggung-Ambarawa.

Meanwhile, heavy vehicles heading from eastern Pantura to western Pantura are also taking a southern route. From Semarang, they must travel via Temanggung-Wonosobo-Banjarnegara-Magelang-Purworejo.

Small vehicles are being redirected through Pekalongan-Kajen-Bodeh-Jatiluhur-Ampelgading before entering Pemalang regency. The alternative route, which is along a small and winding road, has been packed with vehicles since the bridge closure.

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