I

t has not been smooth sailing in the construction of the country’s first mass rapid transportation (MRT) in Jakarta, with one stumbling block making it impossible for trains to stop at one of the stations.

Project developer PT MRT Jakarta is speeding up construction to make the MRT operational by March 2019. However, of the 13 stations, one will be skipped by trains as the station on Jl. Haji Nawi in South Jakarta cannot be completed as a result of land disputes with four home owners.

“In the early days of operation, trains will unlikely stop at Haji Nawi Station. However, we are optimistic that the problem will soon be resolved and we will catch up with the construction,” PT MRT Jakarta president director William Syahbandar said during a media visit to MRT sites on Monday.

The city administration has failed to acquire the land in Haji Nawi. The South Jakarta High Court earlier this year ruled in favor of the owners of four land plots measuring 260 square meters needed for the station’s concourse, the firm’s construction director Silviana Halim said. With the ruling, the city must pay the owners Rp 60 million (US$4,494) per square meter.

The figure was double the city’s offer of Rp 30 million per square meter. The land acquisition is still in limbo as the city administration is challenging the ruling at the Supreme Court. The dispute has delayed construction of the elevated Haji Nawi Station, which had been only 36 percent completed by July. The development of other stations is ahead, with some reaching 55 percent completion.

The first phase of the MRT Jakarta project will span 16 kilometers and link Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta. It will have seven elevated stations and six underground stations.

Overall progress of the project stands at 76 percent, slightly lower than the company’s target of 78 percent as of July.

“Because of the [land] issue, we are indeed a little bit behind schedule,” said Silviana, adding that the company was optimistic it could complete 93 percent of the construction on schedule by year-end.

Meanwhile, MRT Jakarta administration and finance director

Tuhiyat said the company would propose additional funding of Rp 2.5 trillion for the project. The initial total cost for the first stage of construction was Rp 14.3 trillion, but as the company applies a design and build scheme, in which design work is integrated with construction, there have been construction variations and price adjustments that increased costs.

Most of the additional funds will be used to make the MRT earthquake resistant, Tuhiyat said.

The central government is covering 49 percent of construction costs. The remaining 51 percent has been acquired through loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).