The Jakarta administration is confident that it would be able to complete sidewalk renovations along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin before the start of the 2018 Asian Games in August.

Renovation works have started, and workers began dismantling median strips separating the area’s fast and slow lanes last week, Bina Marga Road Agency head Yusmada Faizal said on Tuesday.

The median strips are not included in the city’s new design for its main thoroughfare. Trees located in the median strip will be moved to line the new sidewalks.

“In the next five months, we will go all-out to finish the [renovation] work,” Yusmada told reporters after the reveal of the thoroughfare’s new design at City Hall.

He also called on the three companies in charge of the renovation, PT MRT Jakarta, PT Mitra Panca Persada and PT Keppel Land, to do their best to meet the deadline.

As part of the renovation, the thoroughfare’s 3-to 5-meter sidewalks will be widened to 12-15 m. Its roads will no longer consist of fast and slow lanes; they currently have two slow lanes for buses and motorcycles, three fast lanes for cars and one for Transjakarta buses, with a median strip separating the fast and slow lanes.

Meanwhile, the new design includes one slow lane for regular buses and motorcycles, three lanes for cars and one for Transjakarta buses.