President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is given a vest before he inspects the underground work of the mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Jakarta on Thursday
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President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo inspected on Thursday the tunnel boring process for the mass rapid transit (MRT) project that started on Sept. 21, calling on relevant officials to put aside all factors that could disrupt the process.
'It is a new history for Indonesian transportation. I hope that the subway project will face no problems,' said Jokowi when he inspected the underground work of the project, accompanied by Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama on Thursday.
President Jokowi said he would closely monitor the construction of the MRT project.
Meanwhile, Governor Ahok said that the underground work was expected to be completed late next year as the workers worked 24 hours a day.
Apart from boring the tunnel, workers are also constructing concrete walls, while the soil from the tunnel is being dumped into Tegal Alur cemetery in West Jakarta, according to Ahok.
Involving Indonesian constructing companies Wijaya Karya, Jaya Konstruksi and Hutama Karya, and Japanese companies Tokyu, Shimizu, Obayashi and Mitsui-Sumitomo, the project is set to run from Lebak Bulus bus station in South Jakarta to Hotel Indonesia Traffic Circle in Central Jakarta.
It will comprise seven elevated stations from Blok M in South Jakarta to Lebak Bulus, and six underground stations from Senayan in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.
The MRT managers are currently in the process of recruiting engineering consultants to work on a feasibility study of the next track, which is from Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to Kampung Bandan in North Jakarta. The study is hoped to start in the beginning of 2016 and finish within a year. The next track could be built by 2017, he added. (bbn) (++++)
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