"The president has instructed that the first phase of the MRT project would be finalized in 2019, but the second phase project routing HI traffic circle-east Ancol would be started in 2018, and it would be speeded up," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said, in a regional meeting on Sustainable Urban Transport Index here, on Thursday.
Budi added that the third phase of the East-West project from Cikarang to Balaraja would be started two years earlier. "MRT East-West, which is scheduled to start in 2022, would begin (construction) in 2019."
Acceleration of the MRT construction project is aimed at reducing traffic in Jakarta, with the existence of fast, safe, and comfortable transportation mode.
"It means that the central government and President Jokowi should be deeply concerned about the development of sustainable transportation and the need to support it with lot of efforts," he stated.
Budi believed that the MRT project would bring significant impact to the citys development.
On the construction plan of stage III MRT project from Cikarang to Balaraja, Budi said that the plan has been studied.
The Jakartas MRT construction project includes three phases, namely the 16-kilometer link from Lebak Bulus to HI traffic circle, the 13.5-kilometer link from HI circle to East Ancol, and the 87-kilometer link from Cikarang to Balaraja.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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