Gov’t to Build Raja Ampat Ring Road to Increase Connectivity

The Government continues to complete the construction of the Raja Ampat Ring Road which spans 342 kilometers.

The road is expected to improve connectivity between tourist destinations in Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Province, which famous for its coral reefs and crystal clear water.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono said the road infrastructure will increase the acceleration of the development of local tourist destinations and make it easier for tourists to reach tourist sites.

“Improved road access will support the economy of the local community in tourist areas,” said Basuki.

The Raja Ampat Ring Road consists of 2 sections, namely the Raja Ampat Outer Ring Section spanning 314.39 km and the Waisai Ring Section spanning 27.61 km. In 2019, the Ministry of PUPR allocated Rp183.1 billion for the project. The budget is used for a number of projects including preservation of the 6.15 km Waisai-Marinda Airport road and routine maintenance of the bridges on that section.

Of the total length of 342 km, the condition of the Raja Ampat Ring Road that has been paved reaches 37.45 km, the aggregate is 97.75 km, and the remaining 206.8 km is not open yet. The construction of the Raja Ampat Ring Road was constrained because it crossed the 113.6 km nature reserve area, precisely on the Kabare-Kapadri-Wayai section (93.6 km) and the Wayai-Warsambin-Kabare section (20 km).

During the 2015-2018 period, the Ministry of PUPR handled the 112.9 km Raja Ampat Outer Ring, which included preservation work, road construction, road structure improvement and construction of the Warsawai Bridge (10 meters) and Waimir Bridge (10 meters).

Raja Ampat is one of the 10 National Tourism Strategic Areas (KSPN) or known as the 10 “New Bali” developed by the Central Government to increase foreign tourist visit. Raja Ampat is managed with integrated system in terms of area arrangement, roads, clean water supply, waste management, sanitation, and improvement of population occupancy through an infrastructure development master plan that has been prepared by the Regional Infrastructure Development Agency (BPIW) of the Ministry of PUPR.

Previously, the Ministry of PUPR had revamped Waisai Port on Waigeo Island as the entrance gate to tourist destinations in Raja Ampat Regency. Furthermore, the Ministry also arranged tourist spots, one of which is on Piaynemo Hill by building souvenir stalls, viewing post, rest areas, mooring for floating boats and wooden boats, as well as stairs to the hill top.

The construction of the stairs is expected to ease tourists to reach the top of the hill in about 20 minutes. The construction budget of Rp19.9 billion is derived from the 2018 State Budget. (BKP of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing)

Translated by: Estu Widyamurti
Reviewed by: Yuyu Mulyani