Inaugurating The Binjai-Stabat Toll Road, Jokowi: Ready To Be Used To Support Smooth Connectivity

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Screenshot of Youtube @SecretariatPresident)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has just inaugurated the Binjai-Satbat Toll Road section, in Langkat Regency, North Sumatra. The toll road with a length of 11.8 kilometers (km) is the first section of the construction of the Binjai-Langsa toll road.

Jokowi said that this toll road section was ready to be used by the surrounding community to support smooth connectivity in the region.

"Alhamdulillah, we are ready to use it to support smooth connectivity," he said at the inauguration of the Binjai-Stabat toll road, Friday, February 4.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta also explained that the toll road is part of the 131 km Binjai-Langsa toll road. Where if the toll road is completed, it will connect two provinces, namely North Sumatra and Aceh.

"It is also part of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road which will connect from Lampung to Aceh," he said.

Meanwhile, North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi said the existence of this toll road would greatly reduce road travel time in the area. Which usually takes 2.5 hours to 45 minutes.

"Certainly from Medan-Stabat 2.5 hours, now it's 45 minutes and the people of Langkat go to Kualanamu from 2.5 hours to 3 hours, now it's 1 hour," he said.

Previously reported, Hutama Karya President Director Budi Harto said that the existence of the Binjai-Stabat Toll Road would open new connectivity from Stabat District to Binjai City and even to Medan.

"Once it is operated, it is hoped that it will accelerate the transportation of goods to the transportation of people," he said.

Budi said Hutama Karya ensured that to prepare for the operation of the Binjai-Stabat Toll Road, a Feasibility Test (ULF) was carried out on January 14-15 2022 by the company together with the Toll Road Regulatory Agency, Bina Marga, Korlantas, BBPJN Sumut, and other agencies.

The company received a Certificate of Operation Worthiness (SLO) on January 28, 2022.

For information, the Binjai-Stabat Toll Road which has been completed is currently waiting for the direction of the regulator to be inaugurated and immediately operated. The 11.8 km long Binjai-Stabat Toll Road is section 1 of the Binjai-Langsa Toll Road.

The Binjai-Langsa Toll Road consists of 5 sections, namely:

Section 1 (Binjai-Stabat) is 11.8 km long.

Section 2 (Stabat-Tj. Pura) is 26.2 km long.

Section 3 (Tj. Pura-P. Brandan) is 19 km long.

Section 4 (P. Brandan-K. Simpang) is 45 km long.

Section 5 (K. Simpang-Langsa) is 29 km long.

Later it will be equipped with five Interchanges (IC) or Interchanges. To date, Hutama Karya has built a ±1,065 km Trans Sumatra Toll Road (JTTS) with 534 km of construction sections and 531 km of operating sections.

The toll roads that have been fully operational are the Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar Toll Road (141 km), Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung Toll Road (189 km), Palembang-Indralaya Toll Road (22 km), Medan Binjai Toll Road (17 km), Toll Road Pekanbaru-Dumai (132 km), Sigli-Banda Aceh Toll Road section 3 Jantho-Indrapuri (16 km) and section 4 Indrapuri-Blang Bintang (14 km).