Skip to main content

Innovative road/drainage tunnel plan for Jakarta

An innovative combined road and drainage tunnel is being proposed for Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. A study is underway at the moment for this novel integrated tunnel project, which is expected to cost in the region of US$1.88 billion. Work is due to commence during 2015, with the initial phase of the construction being carried out by Antaredja Mulia Jaya. The project is calling for two 12km tunnels that will help alleviate flooding in the city during periods of high rainfall as well as featuring a road. The
February 16, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSAn innovative combined road and drainage tunnel is being proposed for Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. A study is underway at the moment for this novel integrated tunnel project, which is expected to cost in the region of US$1.88 billion. Work is due to commence during 2015, with the initial phase of the construction being carried out by Antaredja Mulia Jaya. The project is calling for two 12km tunnels that will help alleviate flooding in the city during periods of high rainfall as well as featuring a road. The plan calls for the tunnels to be complete in three years. One of the tunnels will link Tanah Abang with Ulujami and the other will connect Manggarai with Bale Kambang.

The project is similar in concept at least to the 5333 Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel's (SMART) section constructed in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur some years ago. Like Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur also suffers from heavy rainfall at times and the two cities share similar climactic conditions. With a heavy focus on vehicle traffic for transportation, congestion was an issue in Kula Lumpur and the city authorities decided to tackle two issues in one by construction the SMART project. Jakarta’s traffic congestion is also a major problem.

For most of the time Kuala Lumpur’s SMART link operates as a dual deck road tunnel, providing an express route for traffic under the city. But during periods of heavy rain, its road decks are closed to cars and carry. The SMART tunnel is 9.8km long and its central 3km carries out the dual role, with traffic carried on two decks. Floodwater can be carried in the lowest portion of the tunnel, beneath the lower road deck. The road decks are protected from flooding to maximise safety and can also be closed to traffic and opened to flood flows when the water levels are particularly high.

Those involved in building the project in Jakarta stand to learn a lot from how the SMART link was constructed in Kuala Lumpur as it went, broadly speaking, to plan. Despite geological and technical challenges, the tunnel was constructed within the planned two year period and $464 million budget, without major incident.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Indonesia’s massive bridge project being planned
    August 30, 2019
    A massive bridge project is being planned for Indonesia that will play a key role in the country’s development of its new capital. Building the 7.35km Balikpapan-North Penajam Paser bridge will provide a connection to Penajam. Constructing the bridge is expected to cost over US$1.02 billion, with work expected to start in 2020. The bridge will be tolled. Serious issues are impacting on Jakarta, with the city suffering heavily from pollution and congestion, as well as its land area sinking. This combination
  • Bavarian road tunnel opens to traffic
    June 1, 2022
    A new Bavarian road tunnel is now open to traffic
  • Major Indonesian highway projects moving ahead
    December 13, 2018
    A series of major highway projects are now moving ahead in Indonesia. One of the projects is for part of the Trans-Java Toll Road. Work is now starting to build the route and this new 759km toll road will connect Surabaya and Jakarta. Construction is already underway on building the Bogor-Ciawi-Sukabumi Toll Road or Bocimi linking West Java's Ciawi with Cigombong.
  • Malaysia’s massive road building project is advancing the use of technology
    August 10, 2020
    Malaysia’s huge Pan Borneo Highway project is benefiting from the use of some of the latest technologies in its planning, design and construction