REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG -- The construction of bridges and a 172-kilometer-long road connecting areas in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara to Timor Leste is expected to be completed in 2018, a local government official stated.

"Our priority is still on completing the construction of the bridge and road projects since they are related to opening up access," Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Border Affairs Division Paulus Manehat remarked here on Tuesday.

Speaking to Antara on the province's prioritized programs in 2016, he affirmed that the border checkpoint at Mota'Ain in the Indonesian District of Belu would be rebuilt to increase its aesthetic appeal compared to the one in Timor Leste's Batugade.

The government has built bridges and roads connecting Atambua, the capital city of Belu District, to the Mota'Ain border gate, in a bid to open access to the isolated areas along Indonesia's border regions, Manehat explained.

"At present, the road and bridge construction projects are still ongoing in the southern areas, and from 2017 until 2018, the focus will remain on the western areas," he added.

Despite the focus laid on the development of infrastructure projects, the provincial government has never ignored other development sectors, including education and health services, he pointed out.

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