Jakarta Governor, Pramono Anung instructed his ranks to speed up the excavation project on Jalan TB Simatupang, South Jakarta.

Pramono requested that the project, originally targeted for completion in December, to be completed by November. This accelerated construction is intended to address the traffic congestion in the area.

"The project must be completed in November or one month faster," he said, Sunday (8/24).

In addition, to reduce congestion, Pramono also requested that the fence or project barrier be reduced and that part of the sidewalk in the project-affected area be temporarily utilized to widen the traffic lane.

"Some of the sidewalks are currently unusable for pedestrians because some are impacted by the project. The sidewalks can be used to handle traffic until November. We will restore them later," he added.

Pramono also apologized to the public affected by this traffic jam problem.

Pramono stated that the ongoing excavation projects in Jakarta aim to improve the city's infrastructure, such as installing underground cables, sanitation, and water pipes. However, he assured that congestion issues have been resolved in other areas.

Previously, Governor Pramono and his ranks held a closed meeting to discuss solutions to congestion on Jalan TB Simatupang. The meeting resulted in the agreement on several short and medium term measures to address congestion.

Deputy Coordinator of Special Staff to the Governor and Deputy Governor of Jakarta, Yustinus Prastowo, explained Jakarta Provincial Government prepares both short and medium term solutions.

The short-term solutions are;

1. Excavation Project Review

This step is part of a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing excavation projects, namely the 7-kilometer Perumda Paljaya wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) project in Cilandak and the 4-kilometer Tanjung Barat Flat piping project. These two important projects are targeted for completion in October and November 2025.

2. Acceleration of Work

PAM Jaya and Paljaya have been instructed to speed up work with a 24-hour non-stop system, shorten the project fence, place flagmen, and take other technical steps.

3. Coordination with the Central Government

Trying to manage the opening and closing of toll entrances and exits during rush hour to reduce vehicle congestion.

4. Public Area Optimization

Using the available areas as temporary stops or parking so that public vehicles do not pile up on the side of the road when picking up and dropping off passengers.

5. Utilization of Sidewalks

Temporarily use sidewalks in the project-affected areas to widen the road, especially at bottleneck points, considering that the sidewalks at these locations are currently not usable by pedestrians.

6. Inter-Institutional Synergy

Strengthening integrated field coordination between the National Police, the Transportation Agency, Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), MRT Jakarta, Transjakarta, and other related agencies.

7. Traffic Information

Working with Google and other navigation platforms to display up-to-date information about ongoing projects, while also providing alternative routes for road users.

Meanwhile, for a medium-term solution, Yustinus explained, the Jakarta Provincial Government will study the construction of underpasses or flyovers at major intersections along Jalan TB Simatupang to control traffic flow.