JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo said that the plan to build a toll road near Lembah Anai, West Sumatra (Sumbar), had been approved by President Prabowo Subianto. The discourse on the construction of the free-flowing road is a long-term solution for infrastructure in the area which often landslides.
"(The plan to build the Lembah Anai Toll Road) is one of the ones that I have already sounded to the president and he is okay," said Dody in a media briefing at the PU Ministry's office, Jakarta, Friday, January 16.
Even so, Dody said, the plan to build the toll road takes quite a long time.
"We will make a new toll road, penetrate all kinds of tunnels, we will also work on it permanently and it will take time. It can't just be a day or two, it needs a year or two," he said.
On the same occasion, the Director General of Road Construction of the Ministry of PU Roy Rizali Anwar explained that the construction of the toll road was through various stages, starting from the preparation of feasibility studies and pre-feasibility studies, then continued with environmental studies or amdal to the retaining wall (DPT).
Then, it will enter the stages of the auction process and the preparation of the design until the construction is carried out.
"So, this is indeed another stage of design, preparation of feasibility studies, amdal and DPT, to move towards construction development," he said.
Previously, the plan to build a toll road in the Anai Valley area, West Sumatra, was revealed by Minister Dody in mid-December 2025. The plan to build a toll road is expected to reduce traffic congestion on the road around the Anai Valley.
Moreover, Dody said, the condition of the road in the Anai Valley which connects Padang City with Bukittingi is very worrying. The reason is that the road has been hit by flash floods twice, namely in 2024 and 2025.
This was revealed by Dody after his visit to West Sumatra to check the condition of infrastructure after the late November 2025 flood.
"The Anai Valley already has a road, a national road that connects Padang to Bukittinggi. Well, there is a hill that is very steep (bald), so when I was there yesterday, I had time to order my team to the Director General of Infrastructure to pay attention to this hill. It could cause flooding again later, if the rain is still heavy," said Dody in a media briefing on the Preparedness of the 2025 Christmas and New Year 2026 Infrastructure in the PU Ministry Auditorium, Jakarta, Thursday, December 18.
"That's why we thought, yes, we've made a toll road that blows the hill, it's as a help so that the road below, in the Anai Valley, is not too crowded anymore," he continued.
In addition, Dody also asked for an alternative road to be made because the load of the road crossing the Anai Valley is already very large.
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