The construction of the Patimban port access road, Subang, West Java (West Java) was carried out with due regard to the surrounding environmental aspects. To avoid the conversion of paddy fields around the access road, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) chose the technique of pile slab construction (overpass).

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said, the pile slab was actually an ordinary construction technique and had been done in many other places. He said, but the height of the piles would not be as high as fly over in general. The height of the pile slab for Patimban port access road will be only 3-4 meters.

"Not too high, (the aim) is to secure rice fields, for example the Cengkareng toll road towards the airport. because if the roads are usually at grade, then the community will easily change their fields to later be converted into rice fields, houses will be built, stalls will be built, "explained Basuki while reviewing the construction site of the Patimban access road on Tuesday (6/11). Also assisting were Director General (Dirjen) Bina Marga Sugiyartanto and Bridge Director Iwan Zarkasi.

For now, according to Basuki, depth testing for pile slab piles is being made. Meanwhile, the depth of the pile is around 22-30 meters whose use will depend on the density / density of the location of the soil. The Patimbang port access road was built along 8.2 km with a construction fund of Rp1, 127 trillion, which came from a Japanese Government loan.

The construction of the Patimban port access road is targeted to be completed by the end of 2019. The 8.2 Km access road work package has been signed by the Commitment Making Officer (PPK) of the West Java Region 1 National Roads Directorate General of Highways in August in Jakarta. The implementing contractor is Shimizu Corporation together with PT Bangun Cipta Contractor and PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP).

Patimban Port will become the second largest container port in Indonesia after Tanjung Priok Port. The existence of the Port and its access roads in West Java are expected to increase export activities and reduce the cost of national industrial logistics.

Regarding land acquisition, although it has not been fully completed, the Minister of PUPR believes this can be resolved soon. Now there are 4 km long that have been released with a width of 30 meters. The need for land width indeed reaches 40 meters, but with the present condition, the land can also be done for land clearing.

"The other 4 Km in the harbor area, there are 24 meters wide that have been free, can also be land clearing up to the port limit at Km 8. Land acquisition is indeed handled by the Ministry of Transportation and LMAN (State Asset Management Institute). We (PUPR) are only asked to build access roads, "he continued.

For information, the access road will connect the Patimban port to the northern coast road in Subang. In the future, the Government also plans to build a toll road leading to the Patimban Port which is connected to the Cikopo-Palimanan toll road. Basuki said, PT Jasa Marga, assisted by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), was currently exploring the possibility of cooperation for the construction of the toll road.

"The form of financing is still being discussed, we don't know yet, this is private investment. The placement (determination of the location of the toll road) has also not been submitted to the Governor of West Java, "he concluded. (KOMPU BM)