Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is optimistic that the newly inaugurated Cibitung-Cilincing Toll Road (JTCC) would accelerate logistics access from the industrial area to Tanjung Priok Port.

"The Cibitung-Cilincing Toll Road was earlier owned by Waskita that was later taken by state-run port operator Pelindo. We hope this will provide services to container trucks, exported goods, and imported goods to industrial areas and to the logistics areas," Jokowi stated at Gabus Gate on the JTCC in Bekasi District, West Java, on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the head of state inaugurated the JTCC that is part of the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) 2 and the Serpong-Balaraja Toll Road section 1, which became the start of the construction of JORR 3.

He stated that the JTCC can accelerate the mobility of goods in the region.

"We want to increase goods' competitiveness. If we do not support our products with good infrastructure, it will be impossible to compete with other countries," Jokowi added.

The JTCC will connect the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road to the Tanjung Priok access toll road and vice versa to provide support for smooth mobility, commuter movements, and logistics, especially for the Cikarang and Cibitung industrial areas and the Tanjung Priok port.

"I think this will greatly affect competitiveness because the industrial areas and logistics areas in Karawang and Bekasi will be given facilities to reach Tanjung Priok Port and vice versa," President Jokowi noted.

Meanwhile, Pelindo President Director Arif Suhartono said the company's main consideration to take part in the toll road business was to ensure toll road connections to industrial areas and ports are covered properly.

"Cargo from Tanjung Priok Port, especially containers that are more than 60 percent from the East, must reach the industrial and logistic areas on time. This toll road will also reduce the burden of the main toll road. Thus, people will also feel the impact of this toll road development," Suhartono remarked.

In addition to the toll road, he noted that Pelindo was building a rest area and logistics park.

"This location has an area of 40 hectares and five hectares will be used for the rest area. The remaining 35 hectares will be used for logistics needs for containers heading to Tanjung Priok Port. Second, it can be used for distribution and for the logistics center to provide service for the users and the government," he added.

Related news: Cibitung-Cilincing toll project to cost Rp6.5 trillion

Construction of the JTCC began in 2017. This toll road is one of the National Strategic Projects that will facilitate logistics access from Tanjung Priok Port to industrial areas in eastern Jakarta and vice versa.

The 34.7-km JTCC toll road comprises 4 sections: Section 1, Cibitung-Telaga Asih, spanning 3.03 km; Section 2, Telaga Asih-Gabus, extending 10.1 km; Section 3, Gabus-Tarumajaya, measuring 14.35 km; and Section 4, Tarumajaya-Cilincing, reaching 7.66 km.

Section 1 became operational on July 31, 2021, while Sections 2 and 3 will be operated immediately after this inauguration, and Section 4 is still in the completion stage and is targeted to be completed and start to operate in December 2022.

Construction of this toll road is conducted by the Toll Road Business Entity (BUJT) PT. Cibitung Tanjung Priok Port Tollways, with a total investment value of around Rp12.91 trillion and construction cost of Rp7.48 trillion.

Related news: Section 1 of Cibitung-Cilincing Highway is ready on Saturday

Translator: Desca Lidya N, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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