IKN Airport Is Not Over Yet, Invited Guests To Ceremony The 79th Anniversary Of The Republic Of Indonesia Can Pass These Two Roads

JAKARTA - VVIP Airport in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan, is certainly not operational during the commemoration of the 79th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.

Thus, invited guests will be directed to land at Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport Sepinggan Balikpapan.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) as well as Acting Head of the IKN Authority (OIKN) Basuki Hadimuljono said his party had prepared two road access that guests could pass from Sepinggan Balikpapan Airport to IKN.

First, through the Balikpapan-Samarinda (Balsam) exit KM 11, it will be continued to the 88 kilometer (km) Balang-Riko Intersection Bridge with an estimated travel time of 90 minutes. The second alternative is still the Balsam exit toll road KM 38, then through Jalan Nasional Samboja with a travel time of 150 minutes or about 2.5 hours.

"That's access to IKN because guests from Jakarta apologize because our airport at IKN is still less than 300 meters (m) for 2,200 m," Basuki said at the Independence Month Press Conference in Jakarta which was monitored online on Thursday, August 1.

Therefore, the airport cannot be used to land large-body aircraft that are usually used to transport passengers.

Meanwhile, helicopters can still land there.

Meanwhile, road access in the Central Government Core Area (KIPP) itself is partially paved, such as the West Sumbu area, East Sumbu to Grande. The road that has been completed is about 7 km paved.

"It can be passed for guests, including for Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) operations. It can be operated there by the Ministry of Transportation," said Basuki.

Then access to the State Palace can be achieved through West Sumbu and East Sumbu through the palace gates.

Basuki guarantees that the access has been completed and everything can be reached.

Furthermore, to prepare for the RI Anniversary Ceremony, the state palace and the ceremonial field are already in the preparation stage for ceremonial events. Starting from installing tents, podiums, to furniture.

The temporary furniture will be handled by the Ministry of State Secretariat (Kemensetneg).

"In our opinion, everything is ready for infrastructure. Now it is equipped with a furniture lounge, paintings, tables, lights, which are handled by the Ministry of State Secretariat. We (PUPR) do the fixed furniture, while the Ministry of State Secretariat releases. Now it is in the filling and installing stage. Hopefully, before August 17, it will be complete," he added.