Jakarta, Nov 9 (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo, on Friday, inaugurated the Pejagan-Pemalang toll road sections 3 and 4 that connect East Brebes and Sewaka and the Pemalang-Batang toll road connecting Sewaka and Pemalang flyover, both in Central Java.

The Pejagan-Pemalang`s section is 37.3 kilometers (km) long, while the Pemalang-Batang`s section is 5.4 km long.

"During the past four years, one-by-one, we have materialized connectivity in the country," President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he is commonly known, noted in a statement here on Friday.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil, and Vice Governor of Central Java Taj Yasin Maimoen were present at the occasion.

"Inter-island, inter-province, and inter-district connectivity, through ports, roads, or airports, have been further integrated. Regions and islands are connected," Jokowi stated.

Jokowi`s administration, in the past four years, has focused on the development of infrastructure as its main priority.

The president remarked that toll road construction will not only connect regions but also create new economic centers.

"We hope that social justice and equality would become a reality across our islands. The distribution of goods and services would become smoother," he stated.

Of the total length of 870 km, some 640 km of the Trans Java toll road had become operational, stretching from Merak in Lampung Province to Surabaya in East Java Province.

Other sections of the toll road would be finalized within the next one or two months.

"I think that is the work of the State Enterprises Ministry and Public Works and Housing Ministry to build infrastructure, especially toll roads. We hope that it would ease the distribution of goods and services," Jokowi stated.

According to the Public Works and Housing Ministry, the Pejagan-Pemalang toll road, covering a total length of 57.5 km, would need investment of Rp7.62 trillion.

The 39.2-km-long Pemalang-Batang toll road will need Rp7.5 trillion of investment.

The construction of sections 1 and 2 of the Pejagan-Pemalang toll road, connecting Pejagan and East Brebes, was started in November 2014 and had begun operations in June 2016.

The construction of sections 3 and 4 of the toll road was started in January 2017.



Reporting by Desca Lidya Natalia
Editing by Bustanuddin

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Eliswan Azly
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