Indonesia Prioritize reconstruction of strategic roads in Palu: VP

Palu, C Sulawesi (ANTARA) – Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has asked the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry to prioritize the construction of strategic roads in Palu city, Central Sulawesi province, to expedite post-earthquake recovery.
A-7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit the city on September 28, 2018 had triggered a tsunami and soil liquefaction, he noted.
“Strategic roads which connect the permanent housing for disaster survivors and economic centers must be prioritized to expedite economic growth,” the Vice President said while reviewing the construction of permanent housing at the Tondo II relocation site, Palu city on Thursday.
Strategic roads are crucial for supporting community mobility, facilitating access, and cutting travel distance to save time, he pointed out.
The road construction must be done with careful planning and implementation, according to the standards, to expedite regional recovery in Palu city, Sigi district, and Donggala district, Amin said.
“The PUPR Ministry, which has been assigned to carry out infrastructure development in the regions, must pay attention to the work quality,” Amin emphasized.Meanwhile, head of the National Road Development Center (BPJN) XIV of the ministry, M Syukur, said that the center has carried out 14 recovery projects involving rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads and bridges throughout the province.
The total length of revitalized roads in Palu city has reached approximately 84.988 kilometers (km), he informed. At least 39.268 km of roads have been completed, 0.7 km are under construction, while 45.02 km have not been constructed yet, he added. Meanwhile, in Sigi district, 42.31 km roads have been completed, while 16.847 km roads are under construction, he said. In addition, construction of 32.3 km of roads has not started yet, he added.