Riza Roidila Mufti, Jakarta – The construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway will focus on critical spots, such as tunnels, including the main tunnel in Halim, East Jakarta.
State-owned construction firm Wijaya Karya (Wika) president director Tumiyana said construction and land acquisition had reached 15.03 percent and 96 percent completion, respectively.
"We project that this year, we'll be able to complete 60 percent of construction," Tumiyana told the press after the company's shareholders meeting in Jakarta, recently.
Construction of the 142.3-kilometer project is currently focusing on its tunnels, including the main tunnel in Halim, which is 1,885 meters long.
The railway project will have 13 tunnels, seven of which have started their excavation phase. Walimi in West Java was another critical spot for the project because the developer had to construct three tunnels with a total length of 7.44 kilometers.
Wika corporate secretary Puspita Anggraeni said the project had been divided into 115 development points, 32 of which were elevated projects, including bridges in Bekasi, West Java.
Puspita said 42 points were under construction, including seven tunnels and a train depot in Tegalluar, Bandung.
She added that another 41 points were being prepared for the next construction phase.
The high speed train is designed to travel at a speed of 350 km per hour, about a 45-minute trip from Jakarta to Bandung. The developer aims to complete construction of the entire project by June 2021, a two-year delay from its original plan. (bbn)