Anies Initiates Construction Of Pedestrian Tunnel For Dukuh Atas MRT Station BNI-Thamrin Nine Building, The Cost Is IDR 150 Billion

DKI Governor Anies Baswedan (public relations photo of the DKI Provincial Government)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan initiated the construction of underground interconnection facilities or pedestrian tunnels on the MRT line to offices. The location of this construction is at the Dukuh Atas BNI MRT Station to the Thamrin Nine UOB Building.

The initiation of the construction of this underground interconnection was marked by the signing of a Cooperation Agreement on the Construction of Buildings and Interconnection Facilities of Thamrin NineUOB–Dukuh Atas BNI Station between MRT Jakarta and PT Wisma Kartika and witnessed by Anies.

This pedestrian tunnel was built with a cooperation scheme that costs IDR 150 billion. The development fund is borne by the private sector as the developer.

Anies revealed that the construction of this interconnection facility could become a new historical record in Jakarta and Indonesia because it started a project to build a pedestrian road underground. Where, MRT passengers will later pass through a tunnel that directly reaches the buildings around the station.

"This tunnel will be the beginning of the realization of an underground interconnection network on the MRT route which not only facilitates movement patterns but also activates the basement as a new productive space in Jakarta," said Anies at the Opening of the TOD Forum 2022 and the Launching of the Thamrin Nine UOB Underground Interconnection Development-Dukuh Atas BNI MRT Station, Thursday, July 7.

The former Minister of Education and Culture said that the pedestrian tunnel to be built could help employees at the Thamrin Nine Building not to use private vehicles and switch to public transport while working.

"Imagine, buildings that can be 40 to 50 stories high have direct access to the station. So, it will make thousands of people who work there will choose to park at stations outside the city, then take public transportation to here, instead of taking private vehicles and parking next to the building," explained Anies.

Anies also hopes that this collaboration will invite other private parties whose buildings are near the MRT station to conduct a similar pedestrian tunnel.

"Later it will be much more profitable for porperti owners to offer porperti if it has a connection with the public transportation. Obviously, the commercial incentives can come up immediately," he added.

It is known that this pedestrian access is 80 meters long with a width of five meters which is equipped with various supporting facilities, such as retail, storage rooms, escalators, and elevators.

The plan is that the construction of this underground interconnection will be carried out for 18 months and is targeted to be completed next year. This tunnel complements the flyover interconnection of Blok M BCA Station and Blok M Plaza that has been built and the flyover interconnection of Lebak Bulus Grab-Pondok Indah Square Station which is under construction.