Hutama Karya: Bengkulu-Taba Penjung Toll Road Becomes Bengkulu Economic Stimulu

Photo: Doc. Antara

PT Hutama Karya (Persero) said the Bengkulu-Taba Penjung Toll Road as part of the National Strategic Project (PSN) of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road is a stimulus for the Bengkulu economy.

"The Bengkulu 'Taba Penjung' toll road can be useful for the smooth mobility of people, goods, and services, as well as being a stimulus for economic development in Bengkulu," said EVP Corporate Secretary Hutama Karya Tjahjo Purnomo, quoted from Antara, Thursday, July 20.

The Bengkulu-Taba Penjung Toll Road has a planned speed of 80 km/hour, the public can save travel time from 1 hour to approximately 15 minutes from Bengkulu to Taba Penanjung. This toll road is also part of the Bengkulu Toll Road section to Lubuk Linggau for 95.8 km

The Lubuk Linggau-Curup-Bengkulu toll road will cross South Sumatra Province to Bumi Raflesia which is one of the fins of the main section of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road which will connect Palembang City - Lubuk Linggau and Bengkulu on the West Cross of Sumatra.

The presence of the Lubuk Linggau-Curup-Bengkulu toll road which stretches between forest and hilly areas, is also expected to encourage the growth of new economic centers, including towards Baai Port and the area around the toll road on/off ramp.

"Not only cutting travel times, toll roads that divide the path area of this row hill can also be an option for commodity products and access to various tourism objects that have historical value, such as the Bung Karno Refugee House," said Tjahjo.

Tjahjo said the Bengkulu Taba Penanjung Toll Road is part of the feeder of the JTTS network for approximately 98 km which is divided into 2 stages. For stage 1 Bengkulu Taba Penjung with a total length of 16.7 km and has been operating since the end of 2022, and stage 2 Lubuk Linggau Taba Penjung (80 km) which is included in stage IV of JTTS development according to Presidential Decree No. 131 of 2022.

"Building since September 2019, Hutama Karya is committed to completing the Bengkulu 'Taba Penjung Toll Road. This is supported by the completion of the toll road construction since the second quarter of 2022," he said.

Meanwhile, the enthusiasm of the community in welcoming the presence of this toll road can also be seen from the accumulation of Traffic Volume (VLL) for vehicles that have crossed the toll road reaching more than 40 thousand vehicles both during the homecoming and backflow of Lebaran in April.

Gulam, one of Bengkulu residents who works as a rental car driver, said that the Bengkulu-Taba Penjung Toll Road helps speed up travel time.

"Usually, from Bengkulu to Taba Penanjung, it can take 45 minutes now, 15 minutes," said Gulam.