An underpass to break up traffic near Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport should be completed by late 2018, says the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).
The government’s goal is to get the underpass over and done with by the IMF-World Bank annual meeting, which is set in Bali for October 2018.
“Construction of the underpass is scheduled for completion prior to the annual IMF meeting,” said Arie Setiadi Moerwanto, director general of roads at the PUPR.
The underpass will stretch 600 meters oriented from Sanur to Nusa Dua and should break up congestion around the airport, with access from the Bali Mandara Toll Road, according to Republika.
One of the big challenges is the construction site’s proximity to the airport, says Moerwanto. Nothing can go up too high for fear of disrupting flights landing and taking off.
The conceptual design for the underpass has already been completed and the construction is estimated to cost around Rp 200 billion. The government will be auctioning off the project to contractors in the coming months to speed things up, Moerwanto said.
While they’re already at it with road works near the airport, the government also apparently plans to conduct geometric road improvements, such as adding a much-needed extra lane at the Udayana University intersection on Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai.
