“The development of this tollway not only caters to people’s need for mobility, but also become key infrastructure in supporting logistics and (promote) equitable regional development,” the minister informed.
As part of its commitment to boost interregional connectivity, his ministry has been consistently developing toll roads nationwide, and the West Sumatran toll road is one of them.
The 35.9-kilometer-long toll road is part of the Pekanbaru-Padang toll road, which falls under the Trans Sumatra Tollway Network (JTTS), he said. Construction work on the toll road has concluded, and it will be opened after being certified by the ministry, Hanggodo informed.
Although the main road is complete, further work is needed on other facilities, such as the 2.4-km Lubuk Alung access, he said.
The ministry is collaborating with relevant stakeholders, such as the regional government, state-owned companies, and the public, to finish the rest of the project.
The minister assured that the technical and social aspects of the infrastructure project will be pursued in tandem, so that it goes according to plan.
He said he expects the project to support West Sumatra’s integration into the national logistics chain, and thereby help improve the local economy and its competitiveness.
“This tollway also serve as real application of PU 608, that infrastructure development can also promote budget efficiency, alleviate poverty, and boost national economic growth,” Hanggodo added.
The project aims to enhance investment efficiency with an Incremental Capital Output Ratio (ICOR) below 6, contribute to zero poverty efforts, and support the target of up to 8 percent national economic growth annually.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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