Traffic Jams to Last Until April 2019

Severe traffic jam on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road is expected to last until April next year, as a result of the development of the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road, the Jabodebek light rail transit and the Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Vehicles heading toward Jakarta on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road are stuck in a severe traffic jam in East Bekasi, Bekasi, West Java, on Friday (23/11/2018). This stretch of the toll road, a popular route for big trucks, is often plagued by traffic jams due to the construction of an elevated toll road and a light rapid transit (LRT) line.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Severe traffic jam on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road is expected to last until April next year, as a result of the development of the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road, the Jabodebek light rail transit (LRT) and the Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway (HSR).

The three construction projects take place concurrently from the Cikunir Interchange to the East Bekasi toll gate in Bekasi. Furthermore, the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road and the Jakarta-Bandung HSR are concurrently being developed until the Cibatu toll gate in Bekasi regency. There is also the Cibitung-Cilincing Interchange construction project and routine toll road maintenance work.

Consequently, there are several constriction sites along the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. Data from state toll road operator PT Jasa Marga shows that the vehicle-volume-to-road-capacity ratio is larger than 1 in several spots, beyond the maximum limit of 0.8 for toll roads. This means that vehicles fill up not only all lanes but also the shoulder lane.

In her visit to Kompas office on Friday (23/11/2018), PT Jasa Marga president director Desi Arryani said the construction project of the 36.4-kilometer elevated toll road was at its peak. The project can take place in up to seven spots concurrently on the same day. Consequently, traffic jams occur more often.

“The construction project is at its peak and will continue like that until April 2019,” Desi said. Afterward, toll road traffic is expected to be smoother as construction will continue on the surface of the elevated toll road. The target is to open the toll road for functional use during the Idul Fitri holiday period in May-June 2019.

Desi said based on a meeting with the Transportation Ministry, the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) and the Greater Jakarta Transportation Body (BPTJ), a work schedule would be arranged for the three national projects. No two concurrent construction projects can take place at the same spot.

However, each of the three projects have their own schedules that is difficult to change. “Concurrent [construction] at several spots is inevitable,” Desi said.

During the construction projects, several lanes are temporarily closed.

Finalization on Monday

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has ordered the BPTJ to find the best solution to resolve traffic jams on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. “On Monday [26/11], we will finalize efforts to reduce the traffic jams,” he said.

For now, the HSR and LRT projects are requested to switch to other spots outside of kilometers 11 to 17 of the toll road. The switch will only be temporary until the construction of the elevated toll road project in that area is finished. “Traffic jams are especially severe from Km 11 to Km 17. Therefore, for now, there should be no concurrent projects in the area,” Budi Karya said.

The elevated toll road construction project in the area may continue as it has reached 57.5 percent of completion.

Desi said all the projects will be temporarily ceased during the Christmas and New Year holidays, namely from Dec. 18 to Jan. 2. Over-dimension and overloaded trucks are banned from entering the toll road during the period.

PT Jasa Marga data shows that over-dimension and overloaded trucks contribute to the largest number of daily traffic disruptions on the toll road. Of the 47 daily traffic disruptions, 31 involve such trucks.

BPTJ head Bambang Prihartono said that traffic engineering was regulated in Transportation Ministerial Regulation No. 18/2018 on traffic control during construction of national strategic infrastructure projects on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. In line with the regulation, overloaded trucks are banned from entering the toll road from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

To ensure its effectiveness, the BPTJ should optimize it with law enforcement. The BPTJ is formulating the standard operating procedure to tackle overloaded trucks. The Jakarta Police will be responsible in tackling overloaded trucks. “We will begin in December,” Bambang said.

The regulation also include an odd-even traffic scheme in West Bekasi, East Bekasi, Tambun, Pondok Gede and Jatiwaringin toll gates.

Bekasi Transportation Agency head Yayan Yuliana said overdimension and overloaded trucks banned from entering the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road can use Jl. Raya Kalimalang instead. This is despite traffic being severely jammed on the road due to the Bekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu toll road construction project.

Separately, BPJT head Herry Trisaputra Zuna said the construction project schedule must be arranged due to limited toll road capacity. However, firm action against over-dimension and overloaded trucks was also important.

The undersecretary of infrastructure coordination at the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Ministry, Ridwan Djamaluddin, said he appreciated the Transportation Ministry for rearranging the schedule for the three infrastructure projects on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road.

Data from the Priority Infrastructure Provision Committee shows that, in June, there were 45 construction projects with a value of Rp 1,486 trillion (US$102.17 billion). The government expects to complete 66 strategic projects and partially complete 93 projects and two programs in the third quarter of next year.

(ARN/LKT/NAD/NIA/E17)