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Cisumdawu toll road expected to be complete by end of 2020
Almost there: An aerial photo shows the Cisumdawu toll road in Sumedang, West Java, on Sunday
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lmost there: An aerial photo shows the Cisumdawu toll road in Sumedang, West Java, on Sunday. Indonesia Toll Road Authority (BPJT) head Danang Parikesit said the construction of the 60-kilometer road would be completed by the end of next year and would be one of the most beautiful toll roads in the country. (Antara/Raisan Al Farisi)
The ongoing construction of the Cisumdawu toll road in West Java has encountered its fair share of bumps along the way. The government and private contractors are faced with the difficult decision of whether to relocate several existing public facilities in the area — including a school — to make room for the freeway.
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono recently said he was optimistic that the 62-kilometer toll road would meet its set deadline, conveying the government’s steadfast commitment to complete the project by late 2020.
“We’re doing our best to ensure that the entire toll road will be completed by the end of next year,” Basuki said during an inspection of the construction site on Sept. 19.
He added that the ministry had coordinated with the Sumedang administration to relocate the school in the vicinity of the toll road construction. The administration had agreed to provide land for a new school, with students being moved to an Islamic boarding school in the meantime, he added.
The Cisumdawu toll road, which is to connect Bandung and Majalengka, is expected to boost access to Kertajati International Airport, which is supposed to be the second international airport for Greater Bandung but currently struggles to attract passengers.
The completed toll road is expected to cut travel time from Bandung to the newly inaugurated airport from about two and a half hours at present to only one hour.
The construction of the Cisumdawu toll road is being carried out by the government and private companies. The government is responsible for supporting the construction of sections 1 and 2, a stretch of 29 kilometers.
Meanwhile, the construction of sections 3 to 6 measuring 32.8 km is being carried out by PT Citra Karya Jabar Tol (CKJT), a consortium led by publicly listed toll road operator Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada.
Yusrizal Kurniawan, Bina Marga’s Cisumdawu freeway construction team leader, explained to the minister the various problems hampering the project during Thursday’s inspection.
He said the road agency was still awaiting the procurement of 28 plots of land in Ciherang and Mekarjaya villages, which would be enforced by the Sumedang District Court.
“We’ve determined the consignment for each plot. We’ve also coordinated with the Sumedang District Court to expedite the procurement,” Yusrizal said.
He said the agency still needed to clear 323 plots of land in Sinarmulya village, Mulyasari, Margamukti — a process that he said had been approved by locals. The agency had also urged the National Land Agency (BPN) to ensure the availability of consignment funds, which were expected to be disbursed by PT CKJT.
Previously, Indonesia Toll Road Authority (BPJT) head Danang Parikesit said about half of the 62-km toll road from Cileunyi via Sumedang to Dawuan would be ready for the 2020 Idul Fitri travel season.
“For the 2020 Idul Fitri exodus, sections 1 to 3 to Sumedang are expected to be functionally open,” he said earlier this month.
Land acquisition had become an obstacle for construction, said Danang. The Public Works and Housing Ministry is working with the West Java administration, the Subang administration, the BPN and other institutions to speed up the process and ensure it is carried out in accordance with prevailing laws.
The hilly terrain of the area poses other challenges for the developers, as it makes excavation and hoarding work hard to carry out.
The toll road construction is divided into six sections. Sections 1 and 2 cover the interchanges between Cileunyi and Sumedang. Section 1, which spans 11.45 km, is handled by construction companies Chinad Road and Bridge Corporation and Adhi Karya with an allotted budget of Rp 2.23 trillion (US$158.8 million).
The construction of section 2, which spans 17.05 km, is divided into two projects. The Shanghai Construction Group, PT Wika, and PT Waskita are in charge of 6.35 km of the section, with an allotted budget of Rp 1.37 trillion. The remaining 10.7 km of the section is handled by Metallurgy Corporation of China, PT Wika, PT Nindya, and PT Waskita Karya with an allotted budget of Rp 3.4 trillion.
“Sections 1 and 2 are to be completed by next September,” said Yusrizal.
Meanwhile, the construction of sections 3 to 6, which collectively span 33.12 km, is being handled by PT CKJT at a cost of Rp 8.41 trillion. In addition, the company is also in charge of disbursing funds for land acquisition. To date, the company has so far only initiated construction on section 3. The construction of the other sections is not to start until the company has acquired all the necessary land. (rfa)
