President Jokowi Inaugurates Becakayu Toll Road
President Jokowi inaugurates Section 1B and Section 1C of Becakayu Toll Road on Friday (3/11). (Photo by: AGG/Public Relations Division)
After being halted for around 21 years, the construction of Section 1B and Section 1C of Becakayu Toll Road spanning around 8 kilometers was inaugurated by President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Friday (3/11).
Section 1B connects Bekasi and Cawang as well as Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta, while Section 1C connects Cipinang Melayu in East Jakarta with Jakasampurna in West Bekasi.
The inauguration was marked by the symbolical sounding of a siren and the signing of an inscription.
Shortly after the inauguration, President Jokowi, accompanied by a number of ministers, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, and West Java Deputy Governor Deddy Mizwar, toured around the toll road.
President Jokowi believes that the Toll Road would ease the traffic that has been going on for years and hopes that the Toll Road will be expanded to Tambun in Bekasi. We will continue expanding the Toll Road so it will improve access between Jakarta to Bekasi the President said to reporters after the inauguration.
President Jokowi also instructed related ministries to immediately resume the construction of other sections of the Toll Road.
Regarding land acquisition, President Jokowi is optimistic that the issue could be addressed. I think we have to move ahead. Trust me, well just move ahead. Three years ago, nobody would believe that the construction of these sections could be completed but now it has completed, the President said.
The operation of Becakayu Toll Road is believed to shorten trip duration between Bekasi and Jakarta from the previous 2 hours to around 1.5 hours, while trip duration from Bekasi to Kampung Melayu in East Java is estimated to be just around 30 minutes. The Toll Road is also expected to smoother logistics traffic from Jakarta to Karawang, Cibitung, and Bandung because vehicles no longer have to pass by streets within Jakarta but can now directly pass through Wiyoto Wiyono Toll Road and the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR).
For the time being, Becakayu Toll Road is free as the Government is still calculating the fee with related stakeholders.
Joining the President during the inauguration were Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of State-owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, and West Java Deputy Governor Deddy Mizwar. (DNA/AGG/ES) (EP/YM/Naster)
