Head of the West Sumatra Transportation Service, Dedy Diantolani, in Padang, Sunday, said that the road access was officially opened starting Sunday (July 21) morning at 7.00 a.m. of local time.
He said that for the time being it could only be passed by two-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles and vehicles with two axles.
"After it opened this morning, the flow of vehicles passing was quite heavy, but by midday the flow of vehicles returned to normal," he said.
Diantolani said, because PT Hutama Karya is still completing road repairs at several points, for the time being there was traffic engineering being implemented in the form of opening and closing.
"This is to ensure the safety of motorists as well as provide space for completing road repairs," he said.
Padang Panjang Police Chief AKBP Kartyana Widyarso Wardoyo Putro appealed to the public to remain careful when crossing the road in the Anai Valley because road repair work is still ongoing at several points.
"To the public who use the road, especially vehicle owners who pass through the Anai Valley route, do not stop at road work points because this can cause traffic jams and disrupt the ongoing road work process, he said.
He explained that after the opening of the Anai Valley route, next week an evaluation will be carried out for three-axle vehicles.
"We are still evaluating in the next week whether or not three-axle vehicles and above can pass on the Anai Valley route. Of course, by looking at the flow of small vehicles that pass every day," he said.
He also appealed to those passing by to be careful on the road and still prioritize safety because there are still many work points and piles of material.
" We urge you not to stop along the road from the Anai Valley waterfall to the Padang Panjang city limits because it will create traffic jams," he said.
For tourism activities, Putro continued, there will be no stopping for travelers since there is no activity in the Anai Valley.
"It is better to travel and shop to Padang Panjang so that the Padang Panjang community's economy can recover after being affected by the last natural disaster," he added.
The Padang-Pekanbaru national road in the Anai Valley was completely cut off due flash floods on May 11, 2024.
The government, through the PUPR Ministry, responded quickly to the condition and ordered PT Hutama Karya to carry out road repairs.
To this date, road repairs have reached 40 percent.
Because the road is the main access from Padang-Pekanbaru, it was decided to open road access to the general public on Sunday (July 21) with several restrictions.
At the same time, PT Hutama Karya continues to work to achieve the target of 100 percent completion by October 2024.
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Translator: Miko Elfisha, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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