PUPR Ministry Supports Road Access to Merak and Bakauheni Ports

PUPR Ministry Supports Road Access to Merak and Bakauheni Ports

JAKARTA – Public Works and People’s Housing (PUPR) Ministry will build road access to four berths in Merak Port and Bakauheni Port to ease logistic distribution from Java to Sumatra or vice versa.

PUPR Minister, Basuki Hadimuljono, said road access development design to four berths at each port will be conducted by PUPR Ministry. “Four berths will be added in Merak Port and another four berths will also be added in Bakauheni Port so there will be 10 berths,” he said in Jakarta last weekend.

He said road access development will be conducted in this year. Berth addition and modernization in Merak and Bakauheni Ports will be conducted by the consortium of state-owned enterprise (BUMN). “The design will be made by PUPR Ministry and if investors want to conduct it, they have to use the design from PUPR Ministry or the designs they have made must be approved by PUPR Ministry,” Basuki said.

With port modernization, vessel capacity will be improved from the current 50-60 to 80-150 cars per vessel. Meanwhile, the vessel, previously carrying 6,000 cars, will carry 8,000 cars per day.

Besides constructing road access to the berths, he explained, PUPR Ministry will also construct Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar-Palembang-Tanjung Api Api Highway for 434 kilometers. “We only need to acquire the land.  The documents such as environment impact analysis (amdal), detailed design, and land acquisition process have been completed. I have talked to South Sumatra governor and he is ready for it. The land acquisition will be initiated in this year,” Basuki said.

He also said Bakauheni – Terbanggi Besar – Kayu Agung – Palembang – Bitung highway lane will be constructed by Hutama Karya (HK) while Kayu Agung-Palembang highway lane will be constructed by private investors. “Hutama Karya cannot do it itself since these four lanes are spacious. HK wants to invite other BUMNs to participate and perhaps, Jasa Marga will be involved,” he added.

The highway lane development will be conducted in  six sections namely Bakauheni-Bahatan for 53.9 kilometers (km), Babatan-Tegineneng for 51.1 km, Tegineneng-Terbanggi Besar for 35.4 km, Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang for 100 km, Pematang Panggang-Indralaya for 111 km, and Indralaya-Pelambang for 22 km. (Investor Daily)