Special Gift From Jokowi: Cigatas Toll Road Ready To Make The Trip To Garut More Smooth!

The construction of the Cileunyi-Garut-Tasikmalaya (Cigatas) Toll Road. (photo: dock. between)

GARUT- Garut Regency in West Java Province will soon feel the positive impact of the construction of the Cileunyi-Garut-Tasikmalaya (Cigatas) Toll Road. This toll road will connect Garut with major cities such as Bandung and Jakarta, as well as cities in Central Java and East Java. The construction of the Cigatas Toll Road is highly anticipated by the people of Garut, especially by business actors and the tourism sector, because it will facilitate and accelerate travel.

President Joko Widodo, during his visit to Cibatu, Garut, in January 2019, stated that the Cigatas Toll Road is a gift for the people of Garut and Tasikmalaya who are often stuck in traffic jams. The main route of Bandung-Garut-Tasikmalaya often experiences congestion, so the central government decided to build this toll road.

The Garut Regency Government has prepared itself by socializing this program to the public and building road access to to toll gates in Banyuresmi and Cilawu. In addition, this toll road will also connect the Garut area with Cilacap, Central Java, making it the longest toll road in Indonesia with a total length of 206.65 km.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono said that this project is very long and will be carried out in several stages, with an initial focus on Garut, Tasikmalaya, and Ciamis before continuing to Cilacap.

"Our toll gate in Banyuresmi has opened Jalan Soekarno-Hatta, Lingkar Kadungora to (circular road) Musadadiyah, road access has been opened," said Head of the Garut Regency Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Office, Agus Ismail.

The construction of the Cigatas Toll Road will begin with payment for land acquisition in Garut and road construction scheduled to begin in 2025. The Cigatas Toll Road is expected to operate in 2026, which will accelerate travel and reduce congestion in the area.

The acting Regent of Garut, Barnas Adjidin, stated that this toll road will provide great benefits for the community and the local economy. In addition to facilitating mobility, this toll road is also expected to attract investors to come and invest in Garut, which will improve the economy and people's welfare.

The Cigatas Toll Road is expected to be a solution for traffic congestion in Garut and its surroundings, as well as provide a significant increase in connectivity and community mobility, which will ultimately boost economic and tourism growth in the area.