Improvement Of Damaged Regional Roads Starting July 2023, Minister Basuki: According To President Jokowi's Directives

Illustration of damaged roads (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) said that the handling of damaged regional roads in accordance with Presidential Instruction Number 3 of 2023 concerning the Acceleration of Increasing Connectivity of Regional Roads will begin simultaneously throughout the archipelago at the end of July 2023.

"We want to ensure that the Regional Road Presidential Instruction in accordance with President Joko Widodo's directives must start in July 2023. In my opinion, we have started everything, including on this road section," Basuki said in his official statement, quoted Monday, July 31.

Basuki targets that road repairs in the Penyarangan State Capital (IKN) Nusantara, namely the Goa Batu-Tapak Raja tourist access road in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan, will be completed this year.

"This road is one of the sections handled through the Inpres Regional Road Phase I, targeted for completion in December 2023," he said.

The repair of the Goa Batu-Tapak Raja tourist access road has begun to be carried out by the East Kalimantan National Road Implementation Center (BBPJN) of the Directorate General of Highways of the Ministry of PUPR, after being contracted on July 25.

This road is connected to Samboja-Sepaku National Road to the Nusantara State Capital Area (IKN) with the Goa Batu Tapak Raja Tourism Destination, including the Semoi-Sepaku transmigrant settlement in Wonosari Village.

According to Basuki, the road belongs to the North Penajam Paser Regency Government (Pemkab) which serves the transmigration route.

He considered that if the road conditions were good, it could make it easier for the community to bring plantation and agricultural products.

"I hope that later from this area it can produce and send easily, such as eggs, chickens, and vegetables to the IKN area," he said.

The 9.7 km Goa Batu-Tapak Raja Tourism Access handling is carried out in 2 work packages, namely Goa Batu-Tapak Raja 1 Tourism Access along 4.8 km with contractor PT Duta Mega Perkasa worth IDR 34 billion and Goa Batu-Tapak Raja 2 Tourism Access for 3.5 km with contractor PT Pesona Jaya worth IDR 33.2 billion.

In addition to access to Goa Batu-Tapak Raja 1 and 2, the handling of regional roads through Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2023 in East Kalimantan Province is also carried out on Jalan Riko-Maridan for 6.5 km with a contract value of IDR 43 billion. The three sections are regional roads in the IKN Nusantara buffer zone.

"I don't want the core area of IKN to progress, but the regional roads around it are not maintained or not repaired. Later, it can be nimplang (incommensurate)," said Basuki.

Meanwhile, the Head of Wonosari Village, Sepaku District, Kasiyono expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of PUPR for realizing the repair of the regional road to the Batu Tapak Raja Goa Tourism.

"Here we have agricultural products that can be easily transported and sold to the Sepaku Market, as well as the potential for the tourism sector for people visiting IKN, it is easier to stop by the Batu Tapak Raja Cave in our village," he said.