Roads in Sulawesi are ready."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - All national roads across the country are ready to accommodate Eid travelers, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said here on Tuesday.

Millions of people across the country will be traveling to visit their families and friends in their hometowns for Eid.

At a press conference, following a coordination meeting held at the office of the Transportation Ministry to discuss Eid transport operations, Hadimuljono stated that he had deployed officials to the field to directly monitor the readiness of roads.

Although more than 60 percent of the roads are ready, several others are still being repaired, such as in Sumatra and the 20-kilometer-long Selamatan Kalimantan lane, he added.

"Roads in Sulawesi are ready. In Java, the section between Cirebon and Brebes has been improved but is still vulnerable to landslides," the minister pointed out.

According to Hadimuljono, travelers can now use the Trans-Java toll road network that stretches from Merak in Banten to Brebes in Central Java.

Even though the Trans-Java toll road network now stretches only from Merak to Pejagan, as the Pejagan-Pemalang section has yet to be completed, the government will open the 20-kilometer section for Eid travelers.

He further noted that on the whole, major work had been carried out, and four days before Eid, all construction and repair work will be halted. They will resume 14 days later after the Eid holidays.

According to Director General for Road Development Hediyanto W. Husaini, lack of middle lanes will make roads in West Java the busiest for those traveling for Eid.

However, with the Cikopo-Palimanan toll road, he believes traffic along these routes will be reduced.

In Central Java, he added, there are three routes but they, including bridges, are still being improved.

"The Pejagan-Brebes section of the toll road is not complete," he noted, adding that the government will open the Pejagan-Pemalang section for Eid.

In addition, Husaini affirmed that he will prepare several posts in Brebes as meeting spots to ensure safety and smooth flow of traffic.

In East Java, a few bridges are still being repaired, while all roads in Kalimantan will be fully operational 15 days before Eid.

(Reporting by Juwita Trisna Rahayu/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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