Road Maintenance In Belitung Uses Microsurfacing Technology For The First Time, What Is It?

Head of the National Road Implementation Task Force Region II Bangka Belitung Province Rima Qotrun Nada (right). Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI

BELITUNG - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) through the Directorate General of Highways for the first time carried out road maintenance activities using microsurfacing technology.

The application of this technology is being carried out on Jalan Sudirman, which is located in Tanjung Pandan City, Bangka Belitung Islands, along 2.2 kilometers (km).

This technology is a micro-surface layer work that is applied to roads with asphalted hardness in steady service conditions to improve the profile of the hardness (minor) surface, release of grains, oxidation, hair recoil and grooves.

Head of the National Road Implementation Task Force for Region II Bangka Belitung Province, Rima Qotrun Nada, said this was in accordance with the Strategic Plan (Renstra) of the Ministry of PUPR 2020-2024 on the third mission, namely the implementation of technological innovation in the roads and bridges for sustainable improvement.

"In 2024, BPJN Bangka Belitung will try to carry out other preventive maintenance activities for the first time using higher technology with a micro-surface layer or so-called microsurfacing on Jalan Sudirman (Tanjung Pandan) for 2.2 km," said Rima to Tanjung Pandan, Belitung Regency, Friday, September 27.

Rima said, there are four advantages to the application of this microsurfacing technology. First, reducing the operational costs of vehicles, more durable tires, saving fuel and reducing noise. The second is more environmentally friendly (using only one prop) and the use of natural polymers (rubber temperatures).

Third, it is easier to do (20 minutes for 400 meters) and the fourth or last is the result black or looks like it has just been overlayed, hard (because it uses an additive polymer) and lasts a long time (until further maintenance).

"Although this microsurfacing activity is the first time in Indonesia, it has been implemented in various other countries such as Germany, the United States, Britain, Australia, China and India," he said.

He hopes that road maintenance activities using microsurfacing technology can be implemented in other parts of Indonesia.

"With the success of microsurfacing work at the Bangka Belitung National Road Implementation Center (BPJN), it is hoped that it can serve as a pilot for other regions in Indonesia," he said.

"So, it can increase driving comfort, support the community's economy and keep national road conditions steady for longer life at an economic cost," he continued.

It is known, the progress of Jalan Sudirman's rehabilitation work using this technology has reached 64.16 percent. Meanwhile, the progress of the blackspot has reached 17.98 percent. Thus, the entire work is targeted to be completed in November.

"(The target is complete) November 8, 2024," he said.