To support the stability of infrastructure in the National Tourism Strategic Area on Lake Toba, the Directorate General of Highways through the Medan National Road Implementation Center II built the Tano Ponggol Bridge located in Samosir Regency, North Sumatra. This bridge is very vital because it will strengthen the infrastructure on the Samosir Island Ring Road so it is hoped that the tourism sector will further develop.

"The Samosir District Government will seriously assist the central government in managing the Lake Toba tourism area, the police will also be ready to help," explained Rapidin Simbolon, Samosir Regent in front of members of the House of Representatives and staff at a Specific Work Visit for Infrastructure and Transportation Review to Samosir District (30 / 1). "We want to provide international-level tourism. "The construction of the Tano Ponggol Bridge will provide options for tourists to surround Samosir Island by road or by using large cruise ships," he continued.

On this specific working visit, members of the DPR Commission V present included Sahat Silaban, KH. Muh. Unais Ali Hisham, and Abdul Latief Hanafiah. The ranks of the Directorate General of Highways who also assisted the Bridge Director who also served Plt. Head of the Medan National Road II Implementation Center, Iwan Zarkasi, PPK Samosir Circle, Karyawanta Sembiring.

"The problem that exists in the work of the Pangururan-Ambarita-Tomok-Onan Rungu Road Construction Preservation Package is that there is still land that is not yet free as long as 66,394 Km so it needs to be followed up with certainty and commitment to land acquisition from the Samosir Regency government," explained Karyawanta. The land that has not yet been worked out will be according to existing conditions, so that some adjustments will be made, such as routine maintenance being effective and minor handling being major.

Karyawanta also revealed that the priority at the moment is coordination with the local government related to land acquisition for the preservation work and widening of the Tele-Pangururan-Nainggolan-Onan Runggu road. There is a shortage of 28 Km of free land for the work of the total 32 Km that must be acquired. BBPJN II plans to immediately write to the district government given that the implementation time will end in 2019.

Iwan emphasized that the Directorate General of Highways works by prioritizing benefits for the public so that there is a high sense of engagement such as cooperative action in land acquisition. All workers in the field are also expected to be able to optimize their local wisdom in developing the infrastructure of the National Tourism Strategic Area. For Lake Toba himself, Iwan Zarkasi explained the Ministry of PUPR had designed its design concept, namely a bridge with a cable stayed model with three furnace poles adopting the Batihan Dalihan Natolu traditional philosophy. This philosophy has the meaning of a three-legged stove. A three-legged stove needs absolute balance. If one of these legs is damaged, the furnace cannot be used. As in the construction of the Tano Ponggol Bridge, good cooperation between DJBM, Samosir Regency, and BPN must be solid in order to realize the international Lake Toba.