Built With Innovation, The Trans Sumatra Toll Road Traverses Herd Migration Pathways

Trans Sumatra toll road. (Photo: Hutama Karya)

JAKARTA - The Trans Sumatra Toll Road (JTTS) is claimed to be built with high innovation, because this road divides the migration route of elephants and is the first in Indonesia. The location is on the Pekanbaru-Dumai toll road.

Head of the General Section of the BPJT Sectetariat Mahabullah Nurdin said that the construction of toll roads in Sumatra is indeed different from those in Java. He admitted, there were some difficulties. One of them is the toll road through animal conservation areas.

However, Nurdin said, because it prioritizes innovation in its development, problems can be overcome. He and PT Hutama Karya (Persero) have agreed to build a tunnel in the area.

"We pass the Pekanbaru-Dumai toll road through animal conservation. So there we also have an innovation in the construction of a toll road there. We also make a route called the elephant tunnel. In other places it doesn't exist. This is the first elephant tunnel," he said, virtual discussion, Wednesday, November 25th.

This elephant tunnel was made, said Nurdin, because his party and the contractor are committed not to destroy the conservation area that is crossed by the Trans Sumatra Toll Road.

"This (the Pekanbaru-Dumai toll road) divides the route used by elephants to migrate or change places. The route is there. So that we cannot block or cut off the route. Finally, we and Hutama Karya agreed to make the route (elephant tunnel). "These are the innovations that might (solve) the obstacles that exist in Trans Sumatra," he explained.

For your information, the government has assigned PT Hutama Karya as a state-owned enterprise to build JTTS with a total length of 2,765 kilometers through Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 100/2014 which was later updated by Presidential Decree No. 117/2015.

This toll road will connect Lampung and Aceh with a total of 24 sections and will be fully operational in 2024. As of October 2020, there are nine Trans-Sumatra Toll Road (JTTS) sections that have been operating.

The nine sections are the Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar (Bacter) Toll Road, which is 140 kilometers long, the Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung (Terpeka) Toll Road is 189 kilometers long, and the Kayu Agung-Jakabaring Toll Road 33 kilometers long.

"We hope Hutama Karya can finish it on time until 2024. We are still optimistic that 2024 has been connected (entirely)," he said.