Supporting Tourism Destination Services, Ministry Of PUPR Improves Connectivity Of The Morotai Ring Road

Morotai ring line. (Photo: Ministry of PUPR)

JAKARTA - The government has determined 10 tourist destinations that are included in the National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN) in the country, one of which is Morotai Island. To support tourist destinations in the area, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is building road access.

Morotai Island as one of the outermost and foremost islands in the border region of Indonesia holds the potential for marine and cultural natural resources, with a number of tourism objects on offer such as Dodola Beach, Zumzum Island, and Trikora Museum.

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said, to improve connectivity between tourist destinations on the island, the Ministry of PUPR is completing road handling in the form of improving road quality along 189.21 km and handling bridges along 430.88 meters on the Morotai Ring Road which will be implemented in 2020 until 2021 with a budget of IDR 195.9 billion.

Furthermore, he said, the construction of the Morotai Ring Road section is one of the National Strategic Programs (PSN) in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 56 of 2018. According to him, increasing the accessibility and connectivity of the road infrastructure network can provide smoothness, safety, security, as well as the convenience of tourists traveling to tourist locations on Morotai Island.

"Better road access will support the economy of people in tourist areas," he said, through a written statement received by VOI , Monday, October 19.

The handling of the Morotai Ring Road Section carried out by the Ministry of PUPR through the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Highways is divided into 8 work packages, namely, the 3.5 km Sofi-Wayabula 1 road construction package with a budget of IDR 38.9 billion has been contracted on 13 October 2020 and targeted for completion in October 2022.

Second, the preservation package for the Daruba-Deo / Sangowo-Bere Bere-Sofi-Daruba-Wayabula BTS road section along 185.71 km with a budget of IDR 15 billion with progress reaching 81 percent and targeted for completion in December 2020.

Third, there are 6 bridge construction and replacement packages at a cost of Rp.430.88 billion consisting of the 92-meter-long Sofi-Wayabula 1 bridge construction package with a budget of IDR 23 billion and progress to reach 90.5 percent targeted for completion in March 2021.

Fourth, the 111-meter-long Sofi-Wayabula 2 construction package with a budget of IDR 27.9 billion and progress to reach 78.5 percent is targeted for completion in February 2021. Fifth, the 63-meter-long Sofi-Wayabula 3 construction package with a budget of IDR 17 billion and progress reaching 97 , 7 percent is targeted for completion in February 2021.

Sixth, the package for the construction of the 82.9 meter long Ake Godoa Bridge with a budget of Rp. 30 billion, the progress of which reaches 93.5 percent is targeted for completion in February 2021. Then, the package for the construction of the 60 meter long Ake Cio Dalem Bridge with a budget of Rp. 27.1 billion has progressed to 92, 7 percent is targeted for completion in February 2021.

Finally, the bridge replacement package on Morotai Island along 21.6 meters with a budget of Rp.8.7 billion has progressed 100 percent.

Apart from KSPN, Morotai Island is known as a Special Economic Zone (KEK) which is connected to Pitu Airport, Daruba Harbor, and Wayabula Port. Increasing the quality of connectivity is expected to support regional economic development, including the tourism sector in North Maluku.

Basuki said that the road connection from the Wayabula-Sofi area would support the realization of Morotai Island as a trade gateway in Indonesia or a logistics center in the border region.

"This will provide a great opportunity for Morotai Island to become a center for trade activities in the Pacific region and an economic center in Eastern Indonesia in the future," he said.