With the next phase of development set to happen entirely underground, PT MRT Jakarta is wary of accidentally excavating historical artifacts and other archeological findings in the digging process, possibly resulting in delays.

The construction of an underground tunnel along the route, believed to be blanketed in historical value, will require special care so as not to cause any delays for the project, said William Sabandar, president director of the city-owned transportation company.

Furthermore, the planned route will run through Kota Tua, formerly an administrative center of the city under Dutch colonial rule, which experts believe may hold numerous historical riches underneath.

“[The next phase] has a different scale because the level of difficulty is [exceptionally high], with issues like land subsidence and soft soil, the environment and cultural heritage,” William said earlier this week.

Archaeologist Chandrian Attahiyat, a member of the Jakarta Cultural Heritage Experts Team (TACB), acknowledged that the second phase of development would be more challenging.

“The MRT phase 2 route presumably contains many artifacts, especially from Monas [the National Monument] to Kota Tua. Monas alone is situated within the Weltervreden area, which was once the site of the new capital city that was relocated from Kota Tua or Batavia,” he said on Wednesday.

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