Multa Fidrus and Tifa Asrianti
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta, Tangerang Fri, 05/09/2008 Headlines
A tidal flood Thursday morning saw the temporary closure of the toll road between Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Jakarta, resulting in dozens of flight delays.
Toll operator PT Jasa Marga began to close the main access road to the airport from Jakarta at 6 a.m. after an embankment collapsed, overflowing with tidewater.
Airport executive general manager Haryanto said delays were inevitable and all airlines had agreed to accommodate late-arriving passengers due to flooding at kilometers 26 and 27 of the Sedyatmo toll road.
"Passengers don't need to worry because tickets will not be expired and those who missed their flights today can get refunds," he said.
The toll road was inundated with sea water as deep as 120 centimeters in the morning. A six-meter-long embankment on the north side of the road collapsed at 3 a.m. on Thursday.
Airport Police chief Sr. Comr. Guntur Setyanto said 386 officers were deployed to help evacuate passengers from the flooded toll road.
Motorists were diverted to alternative routes to the airport, causing severe traffic jams in Tangerang municipality. A two-kilometer-long queue formed along Jl. Jend. Sudirman heading to Jl. Daan Mogot and Jl. Pembangunan.
The Traffic Management Center reported the water ebbed at around 5 p.m., allowing cars to pass. Jasa Marga opened the toll road for free from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
To lessen the impact, Jasa Marga used thousands of sandbags to temporarily support the collapsed embankment. Proper reconstruction will take at least two days, a company official said.
"Our short-term solution is to strengthen the embankment with sandbags so that it can withstand the tidal flood," Jasa Marga corporate secretary Okke Marlina said.
She said the company was in the midst of constructing an elevated lane from Jakarta to the airport. Upon finishing the lane, it would repair the embankment and construct another elevated lane from the airport to Jakarta.
Jasa Marga began construction of the elevated lane in late March. The project will cost Rp 260 billion (US$28.2 million) and is expected to be finished this year.
The new lanes will stand 60 centimeters to two meters higher than the current ones, said Okke.
Deputy Governor Prijanto said the city would construct seven embankments to protect North Jakarta residents from high tides. Due to Thursday's tides, dozens of residents of the coastal area had to leave their homes.
Prijanto said the city was not responsible for the embankment, which was Jasa Marga's.
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