Governor Fauzi Bowo said Tuesday the capital would start a Rp 40 trillion (US$4.2 billion) project constructing elevated roads across all municipalities in Jakarta next year. Six toll roads are included in the project.

"We must understand that horizontal road expansion is no longer a favorable solution in easing traffic jams," he said at City Hall.

"Therefore, we have no other choice except to build more elevated roads."

He said elevated toll roads were also part of a plan to generate revenue for the city.

"We could use more revenue from toll roads to fund the development of other roads, as well as the development of an MRT, the monorail and the busway," said Fauzi.

The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) is a rail system Jakarta has been planning since 1984. Plans to begin construction this year have again been delayed until 2010.

He said, however, more research was required to measure the impacts of the construction, such as congestion.

"Both the central government and the city administration agree road expansion on ground level will not solve transportation issues in the city," he said.

"But we can think of another way to solve traffic problems. We have to carefully decide the locations of the toll road exits and entrances in the design."

Wrong locations of toll road exits and entrances, Fauzi said, would create worse traffic jams.

He also said the money needed to fund the elevated roads project would come from the administration, the capital market, the money market and loan syndicates.

Fauzi said the city would start the toll road construction in North Jakarta because MRT construction was planned for the same time in the south.

The Rp 8.3 trillion ($913 million) MRT project will stretch 14.3 kilometers from Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, to Dukuh Atas, Central Jakarta and is expected to be finished in 2014.

In addition, Fauzi said the design would also calculate increased air pollution resulting from road expansions that consequently encourage more people to use vehicles.

The six planned toll roads

1. Rawa Buaya, West Jakarta - Sunter, North Jakarta 18.6 km

2. Kemayoran, Central Jakarta - Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta 9.7 km

3. Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta - Casablanca, South Jakarta 9 km

4. Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta - Tomang, West Jakarta 12 km

5. Sunter, North Jakarta - Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta 12.5 km

6. Ulujami, South Jakarta - Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta 8.6 km

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