News and Events

Bahasa Indonesia

Milestone under ADB Financed Roads Project Reached

Banda Aceh, INDONESIA – On Wednesday 5 March 2008, officials from BRR, the Indonesian government’s agency responsible for post-tsunami and earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh and Nias, the Banda Aceh city government as well as from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) witnessed the placement of a beam of the Laguna Bridge, an important milestone under the ongoing project for the reconstruction of the roads linking the port area at Ulee Lheue to the city center of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD), and to the Aceh West Coast Road.

“This project is the crown jewel of the reconstruction projects in Banda Aceh,” says Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Head of BRR. “I’m eager to see its successful completion in November this year.”

The mayor of Banda Aceh, Mawardi Nurdin, says, “We’d like to give great thanks to ADB for its many contributions to Banda Aceh, such as this road, the many houses rebuilt as well as other public facilities.”

The road project serves the Meuraxa communities as well as providing access to the ports serving the Banda Aceh fishing industry and the ferry service to Sabang on Pulau Weh, which is a well-know tourist destination and has the potential to become a regional deep sea water port.

The December 2004 earthquake and tsunami caused widespread damage to the residential and commercial areas as well as infrastructure and roads in the Ulee Lheue - Meuraxa area. In addition, ground levels were distorted with some places subsiding more than one meter causing much of what was formerly dry land to be submerged, with other areas being higher than previously.

Under the current stage of the ADB supported project, road sections are being reconstructed and widened, and two new bridges are being built following the principle of “build back better”. Most of the main road from Banda Aceh city center to the Ulee Lheue area up to the Laguna Bridge will be widened to 29 meters for a dual carriageway with new drainage channels and new walkways on either side. Road levels will also be raised to compensate for local subsidence, and realignment will be done in the Mass Grave Memorial area close to the Laguna Bridge.

The road from the Laguna Bridge connecting to the West Coast Road is being rebuilt to a width of 14 meters including reconstruction of culverts, retaining walls and road shoulders and construction of roadside drains which will be covered to provide walkways. Forthcoming work under the next stage of the road project will include the reconstruction of the section between the Laguna bridge and the Ulee Lheue Port to dual carriageway standard including a new causeway section over the section of the Ulee Lheue island that was washed away by the tsunami.

“The place where we are standing today was one of the places where the tsunami of December 2004 hit Banda Aceh in full force with tragic consequences,” says Pieter Smidt, Head of ADB’s Extended Mission in Sumatera office. Mr. Smidt continues, “When the reconstruction of the Ulee Lheue road and bridges are complete, they will serve the local communities of the Meuraxa area long into the future; greatly improving local road traffic flow and the access to the Tsunami Memorial area, and the Ulee Lheue harbor; as well as providing a much better escape route in the event that another tsunami may happen in the future.”

As part of the preparation for the road widening detailed Land Acquisition and Resettlement Action Plans complying with ADB and Indonesian Government requirements were prepared by the BRR and these are subsequently implemented by the BRR and local government. Environmental assessment reports in accordance with the Government and ADB regulations were also prepared and subsequently approved by both the ADB and the NAD Environmental Protection Department.

“While it is unfortunate the landscape of this area had to be altered to widen the roads, we are determined to make the landscape even better and even greener in the future,” says Mr. Kuntoro.

Comprehensive landscaping and “re-greening” provisions have been incorporated as part of the works to be carried out under the construction contracts. These include the replacement of trees that need to be removed due to road widening or damage incurred from the tsunami with advanced growth stage local indigenous species.

To ensure that contractors maintain environmentally sound practices during construction, Environmental Management Plans have been incorporated in the contract documents and the implementations of these are closely monitored by the BRR and the Project Management Office of ADB’s Extended Mission in Sumatera.

ADB is providing $38.5 million to rehabilitate and reconstruct roads and bridges in Aceh, focusing mainly on the east coast and Banda Aceh. The assistance is part of a $291 million ADB grant to the Government of Indonesia that is helping to rebuild the areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami disasters.

ADB's multi-sector assistance package covers agriculture, fisheries, irrigation, micro and small enterprise development, housing, water and sanitation, health, education, transport, power, spatial planning and environmental management, and fiduciary oversight.

In addition, ADB has contributed a $10 million grant to the Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable economic growth, social development, and good governance. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million.

Contacts