Surabaya-Jakarta Road Trip Takes Only 10-12 Hours

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

A convoy of vehicles from the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry’s Trans-Java Toll Road expedition team passes the Kertosono-Wilangan toll road section on Monday (12/11/2018) in Nganjuk, East Java. The team drove nearly 800 kilometers from Surabaya to Jakarta along the Trans-Java Toll Road. By the end of November, all toll road sections from Merak to Probolinggo are to be completed and ready for use in December.

SURABAYA, KOMPAS — The Surabaya-Jakarta section of the trans-Java highway is expected to be in operation ahead of this year’s Christmas and New Year holiday season. Motorists can expect to travel between Jakarta and Surabaya in only 10-12 hours, cutting down 30 percent of travel time -- amounting to around five hours -- when compared to traveling on national roads.

In the trans-Java highway expedition that Kompas participated in on Monday (12/11/2018), the 800-kilometer journey from Surabaya to Jakarta was completed in 12 hours, excluding time spent in six rest stops. The expedition was held by the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry and relevant agencies.

The group left Surabaya at 6 a.m. and arrived in Jakarta at 8:15 p.m. Vehicle speed was100 kilometers per hour on average. The group was stuck in traffic jam at the Cikarang-Jakarta toll road due to infrastructure projects, including an elevated toll road, the Bandung-Jakarta high speed railway and the light rail transit. On national roads, it usually takes around 15 hours to travel from Surabaya to Jakarta.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is expected to inaugurate the highway at Merak Harbor in Banten and also in Surabaya ahead of the Christmas holiday this year so that motorists can use the highway during the holiday season.

President director Desi Arryani of PT Jasa Marga, which operates a large portion of the trans-Java Highway, said she hoped the Surabaya-Jakarta journey could be finished in 10-12 hours.

“Travel time between the two cities will be shorter due to the trans-Java highway,” Desi told a press conference in Surabaya before heading to Jakarta on Monday morning.

The trans-Java highway connects Merak Harbor in Banten to Banyuwangi in East Java, 1,000 kilometers away. However, only the 870-kilometer section between Merak and Surabaya is ready for use.

Desi said the highway’s Surabaya-Probolinggo section was expected to be a functional toll road in late December this year. Meanwhile, land acquisition is still ongoing on the Probolinggo-Banyuwangi section.

In order to check on the highway’s readiness, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno took part in the expedition. Rini started her journey in the Waragunung toll gate in Surabaya at 6 a.m. And arrived in the Telkom Landmark Tower in South Jakarta at 8:15. At first, Rini was estimated to reach Jakarta at 11:15 p.m.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Cranes surround the Salatiga-Kartasura toll road stretch spanning the Kenteng River in Salatiga, Central Java, on Monday (12/11/2018), when the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry’s Trans-Java Toll Road expedition team reached the area. All toll road sections on the Merak-Probolinggo stretch are to be completed by the end of November.

Logistics and tourism

Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (Gapmmi) chair Adhi S Lukman said in Jakarta on Monday that the trans-Java highway could speed up distribution of staple needs and reduce logistics transportation.

Adhi said the transportation of goods on trucks from Surabaya to Jakarta in normal conditions without floods or traffic jams required two days. “With the trans-Java highway in operation, travel time will be shorter,” he said, adding that faster travel time will also reduce fuel costs and potential illegal levies, which often occur in national roads.

State Logistics Agency (Bulog) operational and public services director Tri Wahyudi said the trans-Java highway would accelerate distribution of food ingredients. Sugar, for instance, is mostly produced in East Java. With the trans-Java highway, distributing sugar to Central Java, West Java and Jakarta could be done faster.

Enjang, who drove a car provided by Astra International during the expedition, said the toll road was in good condition. “However, as the toll road is relatively straightforward and empty, drivers may be prone to drowsiness,” he said, adding that it will be wise for motorists to rest after driving for two hours.

Apart from transporting logistics, the highway will also boost connectivity to priority tourist destinations.

The Tourism Ministry’s 10 priority tourist destination development acceleration unit head Hiramsyah S. Thaib said the highway would boost tourism as many travelers were reluctant to spend so much time on the road.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Vehicles from the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry’s Trans-Java Toll Road expedition team approach Kali Kuto Bridge on Monday (12/11/2018) along the Batang-Semarang toll road section near the Kendal-Batang border in Central Java. The team drove nearly 800 kilometers from Surabaya to Jakarta along the Trans-Java Toll Road. The Merak-Probolinggo stretch of the toll road is expected to open in December.

Construction

In the expedition, Kompas found that several locations along the trans-Java highway were still under construction, including in Wilangan-Kertosono, on Kali Kenteng Bridge and in Batang-Semarang.

Of the 870-kilometer Jakarta-Surabaya highway, only 640 kilometers are in full operation. Here, motorists may travel at100 km per hour. In several spots, there were no guardrails, road signs or marks.

Rini said construction in the several locations would be completed on time. The plan is to complete the Merak-Surabaya segment and have it fully operational in late November.

(AYU/NAD/FER)