By : Haikal Fathan Akbar )*
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) continues to accelerate infrastructure development in the National Capital City (IKN) of the archipelago to facilitate connecting access between regions so that community connectivity can be realized in order to help each other and support all kinds of each other’s needs and also open up connections.
The intensive development of infrastructure in IKN carried out by the Government so far has had a very positive impact on all local communities directly. One of them, residents are now able to enjoy access between regions much more easily and quickly so that their mobility is no longer difficult to facilitate economic activities as well.
Having good connecting access between regions is of course something that is very important because if one region does not have adequate connectivity between one region and another, it will certainly make it very difficult for local residents to mobilize so that the wheels of their economy will also be hampered.
Recently, the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the construction of the Balang Island Bridge at IKN which will clearly have an impact on supporting connectivity between regions in East Kalimantan Province (Kaltim).
The inauguration directly by the Head of State marked an important achievement in infrastructure development in the Indonesian capital. For information, this bridge is one of the government’s strategic projects in an effort to fully support connectivity between the East Kalimantan region.
Apart from being able to connect Balikpapan City with North Penajam Paser Regency (PPU), later the bridge will also be able to reach South Kalimantan Province (Kalsel).
According to the Head of the East Kalimantan National Road Implementation Center, Reiza Setiawan, the main benefit of the Balang Island Bridge is to further speed up access from Balikpapan to IKN.
With this bridge, travel time will be cut quite significantly. If previously the journey from Balikpapan to IKN had to take around 2.5 hours, now with functional bridges and toll roads we can reduce the travel time to just 1.5 hours.
Apart from that, there is also infrastructure development in the form of the IKN Toll Road which President Jokowi tested directly and the condition of the road is very smooth and good. Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) and Acting Chairman of the IKN Authority (OIKN) Basuki Hadimuljono explained that the access toll road will operate functionally on August 17 2024 to support smooth mobility for guests invited to the Indonesian Independence Day Ceremony. 79th.
All infrastructure development in the form of access roads, from toll roads to ring roads and national axis roads, has been prepared by the government through the PUPR Ministry to fully support the smooth running of the Indonesian Independence Day Ceremony participants there.
The IKN Toll Road itself stretches from Balikpapan City to the Central Government Core Area (KIPP) of the Archipelago Capital for 26.5 kilometers (km) and is capable of being a connection to various other national roads.
Not just roads, the Indonesian Government through the Ministry of PUPR has also built up to 19 reservoir areas as water conservation which can be directly integrated with public areas.
Chairman of the Task Force for the Implementation of IKN Infrastructure Development, Danis H. Sumadilaga said that the reservoir with an area of more than 1 hectare is part of the national axis area, the Central Government Core Area (KIPP) near the Presidential Palace which is also complete with pedestrians, jogging track to public space.
The atmosphere in the embung A area is complete with green views and a calming atmosphere. Green water flows from vegetation that grows abundantly on the edge of the lake such as green trees, colorful flowers and lush grass.
At the end of the embung you can see the green hilly area behind the wings of the Garuda which hugs the Presidential Palace. The jogging track, which provides access for pedestrians in the embung area, carries the concept of a sturdy wooden stilt bridge.
Not only is it a conservation center for capturing water, the existence of the reservoir is also part of the government’s efforts to control floods. The function of the reservoir is to capture rainwater at a number of points in the IKN area that have wave contours.
Another function that is no less important is that the reservoir will become a jogging track so that people can use it for socializing or other social activities. The embung facility is the government’s effort to make OKN a forest city by providing 75 percent green area.
The government continues to intensify various kinds of infrastructure development in the National Capital City (IKN) of the archipelago to support access to connectivity between regions in the Province of East Kalimantan (Kaltim) and its surroundings. This also includes sustainable development which makes the city a green area.
)* The author is a Vimedia Pratama Institute Contributor