DALUNG

Badung regency’s concept for improving traffic flow on the Ngurah Rai bypass has won approval in principle from the Department of Public Works, according to the vice chairman of Badung’s legislature, I Ketut Suiasa.

The regency’s proposal for construction of flyovers to speed traffic through the Simpang Siur bottleneck and improve access to and from Ngurah Rai International Airport has been costed at about Rp2.2 trillion (US$2.4 billion).

Suiasa said he was confident the money could be found because the road was a central government responsibility and the department of public works had a budget of Rp27 trillion ($29 billion) for 2011. “We’re asking for 10 percent of this to be allocated to the Bali Public Works Department for the necessary work,” Suiasa said.

“The bypass work is important for the good name of Indonesia in relation to the 2013 APEC meeting in Bali and the plan to host a Miss World competition.”

Road works planned include a flyover from Simpang Siur to the airport turnoff at Tuban, crossing mangroves beside the existing bypass, and road widening and extra turn lanes at the airport turnoff itself.