President Prabowo Virtually Inaugurates Four Strategic Infrastructure Projects

President Prabowo inspects a display board containing information on national projects before the inauguration of Kabanaran bridge and four other infrastructures at the Kabanaran bridge, Bantul regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta province, on Wednesday (11/19). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/Cahyo)

During the inauguration of Kabanaran bridge, President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated four other strategic infrastructure projects via virtual means on Wednesday (11/19). These four projects comprise: Joglo underpass in Surakarta, Central Java province; Canguk flyover in Magelang, Central Java province; Gatot Subroto underpass in Medan, North Sumatra province; and Sambas Besar river bridge in Sambas, West Kalimantan province.

“Bridges, flyovers, and underpasses represent connectivity, sir, and are in line with the third mission of Asta Cita, which is the strengthening of connectivity with the commodity value chain as a foundation to improve public service quality and drive economic growth,” Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo said in his report during the inauguration at the Kabanaran bridge, Bantul regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta province.

From Surakarta to Sambas, public mobility has transformed. Travel times are shorter, connectivity is smoother, and logistics costs are more efficient. Each project has its distinct character, challenges, and benefits. However, they all come together with one shared goal, that is to make life easier for the people

In Surakarta, Joglo underpass now serves as new corridor that untangles traffic congestion in the area. The underpass spans 450 meters long, with a total project length of 1,025 meters. The construction, which was built with a total cost of Rp284.7 billion, has absorbed 1,658 workers. The results are immediately noticeable, reducing travel time at the Joglo intersection by 89 percent. In addition, this infrastructure has improved traffic flow, increased vehicle speed by 300 percent, and reduced vehicle operational costs by 38 percent.

The Canguk flyover in Magelang, just a few dozen kilometer away, serves as an important junction in the Borobudur–Yogyakarta–Prambanan tourism network. The flyover, which is 16 meters long, and a main road with a length of 781.29 meters were built at a cost of Rp99.6 billion over the duration of 395 days.  A total of 528 workers were involved in bringing this project to completion.

The addition of this flyover has eased the traffic congestion occurred along the route. Furthermore, the economic effects are highly visible, especially for freight transport, as the operational costs for heavy trucks have decreased drastically by up to 92.94 percent.

The Gatot Subroto underpass has transformed the traffic flow at the Manhattan intersection, one of the busiest areas in Medan. The underpass, stretching 750 meters in length and 19.8 meters in width, was constructed at a cost of Rp217.83 billion over 463 days, involving 1,154 workers. This infrastructure has decreased the travel time by 74 percent and increased vehicle speed by 167 percent. This new city landmark has also reduced vehicle operational costs by 30 percent.

In Sambas, the Sambas Besar river bridge sets a national record as the longest network-tied arc bridge in Indonesia and marks the first use of the Telescopic Strut Method in the country. With a bridge length of 1,262.6 meters and an access road of 1,342.4 meters, this bridge was built in 1,119 days and involved 2,543 workers.

This bridge, with an investment of Rp479.77 billion, has become a vital connector between the Tebas and Tekarang districts, cutting travel time by two hours and reducing vehicle operational costs by 14.52 percent. The bridge has also cut the logistic cost to more than 90 percent, which is expected to lower the commodity prices and boost the economic value of the Paloh-Aruk national tourism area. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (FI/MMB)