Jokowi: IKN Toll Road Completed At The End Of The Year, Balikpapan-Nusantara Only 50 Minutes

President Joko Widodo. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) revealed that the toll road that will connect Balikpapan with the capital city of Nusantara (IKN) is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

"Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen went to the archipelago via Sepaku District or via toll road? The toll road has not yet been completed, the toll road will be completed until the end of the year in the archipelago, right, Mr. Minister of Public Works? It will be finished by the end of the year to the archipelago," he said, quoted from the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Monday, August 12.

Jokowi said that if the toll road connecting Balikpapan and Nusantara was completed, it would cut the travel time from 2 hours to 50 minutes.

Previously, we had to go back and forth through Sepaku District, if we came here (Nusantara), for more than 2 hours. As soon as the toll road is finished, Balikpapan to Nusantara will only be 40 to 50 minutes," he said.

In addition to toll roads, Jokowi said that later there would be an IKN Airport intended for commercial aircraft. Previously, the airport was originally planned for VIPs and VVIP.

"The Nusantara Airport will also be intended for commercial aircraft to get off at Nusantara Airport, ladies and gentlemen from Medan, Jakarta, Badnung Surabaya, Makassar from Papua and directly to Nusantara, its derivative is in Nusantara Airport," he said.

Jokowi said, with this Nusantara airport, IKN will be closer to being reached from various regions.

"Here it's only 15 minutes. It looks like how close this IKN is to other areas," he said.