Anticipating Jams on Elevated Toll Road

Several scenarios have been prepared to anticipate congestion on the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road during Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020 holidays.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Vehicles pass along the Jakarta-Cikampek II elevated toll road in West Bekasi, which was opened to the public on Sunday (15/12/2019). Only small vehicles are allowed to enter the 36.4-kilometer elevated toll road, starting from Kilometer Marker (KM) 9 + 500 or Cikunir to KM 47 + 500 in West Karawang.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The toll road infrastructure is generally ready to welcome the Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020 holidays. The government guarantees a smooth flow of traffic during the year-end holidays.

However, traffic jams are still possible on the elevated section of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, which was developed to alleviate congestion on the toll road. Especially prone to congestion are the entrance and exit gates of the 38-kilometer elevated section between Cikunir and West Karawang.

To avoid possible congestion, the goal is to finish road widening projects on several toll roads that contribute to the congestion before the end of the week. Arrangements have also been made at rest areas and to manage traffic flow to prevent overcrowding.

“From the aspects of safety and convenience, we guarantee (smooth operations). But there are many factors, so we need to cooperate with various parties, including the public,” land transportation director general Budi Setiadi of the Transportation Ministry said on Thursday (19/12/2019) in Jakarta.

From the aspects of safety and convenience, we guarantee.

According to Aprimon, the traffic general manager of PT Jasa Marga Jalan Layang Jakarta-Cikampek, road widening projects for canalization of the Jatiasih lane and two lanes from Rorotan are causing congestion at the entrance gate of the elevated toll road section from Jakarta. The projects are meant to provide better road conditions for Christmas and New Year holiday travel.

The ongoing projects have left only one toll road lane open. “[Because of] the road widening projects, vehicles are queuing as far as the Jakarta Outer Ring Road,” Aprimon said following roll call for the Christmas and New Year holidays at Jasa Marga’s Jakarta-Cikampek office in Bekasi, West Java.

Jasa Marga had accelerated the road widening projects in anticipation of holiday traffic. Aprimon had set a deadline for Thursday night (19/12) to complete the projects, so that two lanes were open for use to accommodate the expected heavy flow of traffic.

Jasa Marga has also installed additional signs and banners at the entrance of the elevated toll road section, to avoid confusion among drivers who did not intend to enter the elevated toll road section.

Jasa Marga projects that an estimated 911,040 vehicles will use the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road during the Christmas-New Year holiday season. The peak of the holiday traffic departing Jakarta to is expected to occur on 21-22 Dec. 2019.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

This is a part of the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road, West Java, which was officially inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Thursday (12/12/2019). The 36.4-kilometer elevated toll road, stretching from Cikunir to West Kerawang, West Java.

To anticipate additional congestion from vehicles exiting the toll road toward the rest area at Kilometer Marker (KM) 50, the rest area closest to the exit of the elevated toll road section for vehicles coming from Jakarta, Jasa Marga plans to temporarily close the rest area on any build-up in traffic.

In the event of any obstructions on the toll road, Jasa Marga has readied four customer service vehicles, four tow trucks, two ambulances and three highway patrol vehicles for securing road conditions.

Separately, National Police Traffic Corps head Insp. Gen. Istiono said that traffic management stations had been installed at several potential points of congestion near rest areas. Officers at the stations would determine the most appropriate measures for managing any traffic jams that occurred. Implementing the contraflow system is one of the measures that could be taken to alleviate or resolve congestion.

Budi Setiadi affirmed that severe congestion, like the congestion that occurred in homebound traffic at the East Brebes toll road exit gate during Idul Fitri 2016, would not occur this holiday season. This was because the toll roads heading from Jakarta to Java were evenly distributed. Tollgates had also implemented electronic payment (e-toll) systems to avoid long queues from forming at the tollgates.

Connections

Budi said that the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road section was generally safe and convenient for travelers. However, the uneven road surface at the connections between road sections could cause cars to experience a rocking motion when using the elevated stretch.

According to Aprimon, Jasa Marga was improving the quality of the connected toll road sections. Out of the 26 uneven connection points of the elevated road, 21 points had been repaired. He had targeted finishing repairs on the five remaining connection points by Thursday evening (19/12).

The Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road section has two lanes, but only one lane has been closed while the connection points are repaired. This way, vehicles can still pass the toll road section as repairs are underway.

Aprimon also emphasized that the elevated toll road section was not designed for trucks and other large vehicles. This was not because the elevated section was not strong enough to accommodate a heavy load, but rather because trucks tended to be slower than passenger vehicles. A stalled truck on the elevated section could also obstruct traffic by blocking the one operational land and prevent the passage of vehicles behind it.