Trans-Java Highway Increasingly Popular Among Holidaymakers

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Around 150,000 vehicles are estimated to traverse the trans-Java highway per day during the Idul Fitri holiday period at the end of Ramadan. The government is preparing several policies to tackle potential traffic jams.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The trans-Java highway is becoming increasingly popular. Around 150,000 cars are expected to traverse the 985-kilometer highway during this year’s Idul Fitri holiday period at the end of Ramadan. In order to anticipate potential traffic jams, the government has implemented several policies, including a one-way traffic system, toll discounts and temporarily ceasing construction projects near the highway.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said he expected the number of vehicles traversing the highway to double the 70,000 per day on regular days.

“During the holiday exodus period, we expect the number to jump to 150,000 per day,” Budi said after leading an assembly of state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia employees at Gambir Station in Jakarta on Sunday (26/5/2019).

This year’s Idul Fitri holiday period will be the first chance many holidaymakers have to enjoy the trans-Java highway that spans from Merak in Banten to Probolinggo in East Java. Holidaymakers from Greater Jakarta, comprising Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, are expected to use the highway.

Surveys by the Transportation Ministry’s research and development center estimate that 40 percent of the 1 million cars used by 4.3 million holidaymakers from Greater Jakarta will traverse the trans-Java highway. The highway is expected to be more popular than other routes, including the northern coastal road (pantura), the southern road (jalur selatan) and other alternative routes.

Budi said apart from enforcing a contra-flow and one-way traffic system, the ministry would also establish 20 additional rest areas along the highway to prevent traffic jams. This is to prevent holidaymakers from crowding existing rest areas. However, the implementation will not be fixated on current plans, as policies will be modified in line with the situation in the field.

Kompas observations show that the first traffic jams on the trans-Java highway may occur at the Cikunir Interchange on Kilometer 10, which is the eastern meeting point between the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) and the capital’s inner-city toll road.

Traffic jams may also occur at major tollgates, including Cikampek Utama, Palimanan, Kali Kangkung, Banyumanik, Waru Gunung and Sidoarjo. Exit gates prone to traffic jams include Colomadu and Waru.

One-way system

There are changes to the planned one-way traffic system on the trans-Java highway. Based on the latest plans, the police will implement a traffic engineering scheme that is a combination of a contraflow and a one-way system on the trans-Java highway.

National Traffic Police chief Insp. Gen. Refdi Andri said the scheme would be in place from May 30 to June 2 for the homebound travel period and from June 8 to June 10 for the homecoming travel period.

A contra-flow traffic system will be implemented from Kilometer 29 to Kilometer 61 of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. In these hours during the homebound travel period, a lane on the Cikampek-to-Jakarta side of the toll road will be used to cater to traffic from Jakarta to Cikampek. Meanwhile, during the mudik (exodus) travel period, a reverse of the scheme will be implemented.

The one-way traffic system will be implemented from Kilometer 70 of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road to Kilometer 263 of the Pejagan-Pemalang toll road from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. In these hours during the mudik travel period, both lanes will be opened for traffic leaving Jakarta. Meanwhile, in the mudik travel period, both lanes will be opened for traffic heading to Jakarta.

These two schemes are hoped to accommodate short-distance traffic and holidaymakers going from and to Bandung.

These schemes are different from the original plans. Previously, the National Traffic Police planned to implement a one-way traffic system for 24 hours between Kilometer 29 and Kilometer 262 from May 30 to June 2 during the homebound travel period. In the homecoming travel period, the one-way system was planned for implementation between Kilometer 189 and Kilometer 29 on June 7 to 9.

Apart from traffic engineering schemes, construction projects on the toll road would also be stopped temporarily in anticipation of higher traffic. State toll road operator PT Jasa Marga will stop all projects from May 26 at midnight to June 16 at midnight.

PT Jasa Marga director of operations Subakti Syukur said on Sunday that the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road was among the projects to be stopped during the holiday period.

Cutting travel time

Kompas’ observation shows that the trans-Java highway would cut travel time by a significant amount. Kompas, for instance, needed three and a half hours to travel 328 kilometers from Surabaya to Semarang.

Through the northern coastal road, traveling from Semarang to Surabaya (315 kilometers) needs eight hours and 48 minutes.

Many holidaymakers prefer the trans-Java highway to regular roads due to shorter travel time.

Pasuruan, East Java, resident Teguh, 38, said the trans-Java highway helped him get to Kudus, Central Java, faster. He plans to use the trans-Java highway for the holiday.

“I live in Pasuruan and my hometown is Kudus. Before the highway was established, I needed eight to nine hours through the northern coastal road. With the highway, I need only six hours to get from Pasuruan to Kudus,” said Teguh at rest area 519 of the Surakarta-Ngawi toll road in mid-May. (AIN/HRS/DVD/WER/ILO)

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