Jokowi said he was confident the project, which is now owned by PT Jakarta Monorail, would be completed by the end of 2016 if work continues night and day.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi broke the ground on Wednesday to mark the start of work to build the city`s monorail project.

Construction of the project was halted 5 years ago on financial problem after some of pillars had been implanted in some areas.

"Thanks God, today we resume the construction of the project. There would be no pillars lying idle and unused," Jokowi said when inaugurating the groundbreaking ceremony in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said he was confident the project, which is now owned by PT Jakarta Monorail, would be completed by the end of 2016 if work continues night and day.

"The project owner, a private company, claimed it has been ready with fund and the document," he said.

Chief Commissioner of PT Jakarta Monorail Edward Soeryadjaya said construction would start along green line between Kuningan and Palmerah.

"The monorail project is aimed at providing an alternative for the Jakarta citizens to avoid being trapped in traffic jams," Edward said.

He said all preparations needed to resume the construction of the project have been available that his company could start work immediately.

"We would continue to coordinate with the Jakarta city administration during the process of construction. We also will inform the public the possibility of traffic jams in some points where work is underway," he said.

He said the monorail project will use carriages produced by China CNR Corporation Limited.

CNR is a Chinese state company operating in manufacturing industry with products including carriages for mass rapid transport system.

The monorail project is a mass transport system with a single train. It would have two tracks to operate in areas most strategic in Jakarta.

Green Line extends 14.3 kilometers between Palmerah and Kuningan via Sudirman, and Blue Line extends 13.7 kilometers with 14 stations between Kampung Melayu and Grogol.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013