The Red Belt Border Road In NTT Is Targeted To Be Completed In November 2024

Indonesian Red Belt Road (Photo: KPUPR)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) targets the Indonesian Red Belt Border Road "Timor Leste" in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to be completely completed in November 2024.

This road has an important meaning because it is a medium to the border line for supervision and economic development in the two countries.

Head of the National Road Implementation Work Unit (PJN) Fahrudin Region II of NTT Province said the Red Belt Border Road in NTT consists of the eastern sector along 180 kilometers (km) which has been completely completed.

Meanwhile, the 117 km West Sector Red Belt segment still leaves the construction of two 31 km long segments which are still under construction, namely the Penak'Sanam (18 km) and Waenam'Nunpo (Haumeniana) sections (13 km).

"Currently, the progress of the construction of the section is 93 percent with the target of completion by the end of November 2024," he said in an official statement, quoted Wednesday, October 2.

The construction has been carried out since the end of 2022 with a development budget of IDR 114 billion, using contractor PT Agile-Maju Jaya, KSO.

Fahrudin said that in the construction of the Red Belt Border Road, there were also 42 bridges that had been built by BPJN NTT in 2020 on the East Sector Red Belt section and 38 bridges on the West Sector Red Belt section.

Dixci Rafael, who is a resident of border road users in NTT, said that the border road that was completed was very helpful in shortening the travel time of residents every day.

"Previously, from the City of Kefamennu to Napan it took 2.5 hours, now with the construction of PLBN and good road access, it is only about 20 minutes. People are getting faster to transport produce to cities and sell them to the market," he said.