Underwater Toll Road Plan at Indonesia's New Capital

TheIndonesia.id - Public Works and Public Housing Ministry or PUPR plans to build an underwater toll road in the new capital or the State Capital (IKN) in East Kalimantan.

"Mr. Director General of Highways Hedy Rahadian wants that the technology we use is the best technology, including the use of submersible crossing tunnels," said Head of the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) of the PUPR Ministry, Danang Parikesit, at a press conference at the Ministry of PUPR, Jakarta, on Monday, January 24, 2022.

Danang said the underwater tunnel would be connected to the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road. "Later, there will be a spot where it will be connected to the IKN and that is where you will cross the river, you will use an underwater crossing tunnel," he said.

The Head of BPJT further explained the ministry is preparing a detailed technical plan or Detail Engineering Design (DED) of location for the underwater crossing tunnel that will be connected to the toll road.

On the same occasion, Spokesperson for the Ministry of PUPR Endra S. Atmawidjaja said that the underwater toll road construction plan is to protect the protected area around IKN.

"So we don't want the protected area to be damaged, then there is also a swamp area around it. So that access to connectivity is via the underwater toll road," said Endra.

Previously, Head of Implementation Task Force of the National Capital Infrastructure Development, Danis H Sumadilaga, said that basic infrastructure would be a priority in the development of IKN in East Kalimantan. Water resource infrastructure is the basic infrastructure prepared for IKN development. The development of water resource infrastructure at IKN, of course, prioritizes two things, namely how to prepare for flood control through the construction of regional drainage and the second priority is to ensure how the raw water sources for IKN can be met.

While talking about connectivity, a development area must be connected to other places, so it is associated with road infrastructure development. Of course, this road infrastructure will facilitate connectivity to IKN.

In addition, IKN development itself focuses on the Central Government Core Area or KIPP, where land development will be prepared first. It will later be supported by utilities, environmental drainage, and so on.