Regarding The IKN Underwater Toll Project Plan, The Ministry Of Public Works Says This

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works (PU) is still evaluating the planned development of immersed tunnels or underwater toll roads in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan.

The plan is that the project will be worked on with investment from South Korea.

"Immersed tunnel (undersea toll road) is still being evaluated because, right, the plan is from South Korea. We are after existing toll roads," said Director General of Infrastructure Financing of the Ministry of Public Works Rachman Arief Dienaputera when met after the PPP IKN Market Sounding agenda at the PU Ministry Auditorium, Jakarta, quoted Tuesday, February 25.

When asked further about when the technical planning document or Detail Engineering Design (DED) could be completed, Rachman Arief said, it would be tried out in the second semester of 2025. "We are trying," he concluded.

The underwater toll road is part of the IKN access toll road that connects Balikpapan to cross into IKN.

The IKN access toll road has a length of 47 kilometers with a reference from Sepinggan Balikpapan Airport to the new capital city of the country which can be reached for approximately 30 minutes.

If realized, the underwater toll road at IKN will be the first in Indonesia.

Previously, it was informed that the construction of the IKN underwater toll tunnel would require a jumbo budget of IDR 11 trillion.

Director of Road Development of the Directorate General of Highways of the Ministry of PUPR Wida Nurfaida said, in its grand plan, this project will be carried out in collaboration with the South Korean Government.

"We convey that the estimated cost for the settlement of the prospective tunnel is approximately Rp. 11 trillion or US$682 million," Wida said in his presentation at the Indonesia-Korea Technical Exchange Seminar 2024 at the PUPR Ministry office, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 7.

Wida said that the construction of the Immersed tunnel was included in the draft construction of the IKN Toll Road for the 4A and 4B segments in the eastern area.

"All (toll roads) are already in the process of being worked on, except for the 4A and 4B segments. In which there is an herded tunnel development plan which is planned to be collaborated with the Korean government," he said.