REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SUKABUMI -- The construction of an airport in Sukabumi District, West Java, is projected to be completed by 2020.
"Our target is that the airport must be completed by 2020 to support transportation to and from Sukabumi," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi remarked on the sidelines of an infrastructure connectivity dialog held here on Tuesday.
Sumadi said he was coordinating with the government of Sukabumi District, especially with the district head, to decide the location of the airport.
Initially, the airport was planned to be constructed in the area of Citarete, but the location is quite far from the city center, at a distance of up to 93 kilometers.
Hence, the transportation minister has urged the local government to determine a strategic location that is close to downtown Sukabumi and Jakarta.
"There are two choices -- in the Cikidang and Warungkiara sub-districts -- but we will see whether the land will be ready or suitable to be used as an airport site," he added.
Sumadi said Sukabumi has abundant natural resources, especially in the tourism and agriculture sector. Hence, full access to transportation infrastructure can accelerate economic growth and also boost the welfare of the community.
In addition to the airport, the transportation minister said Sukabumi will also be the location for the implementation of the Bogor-to-Sukabumi double-track railway project to start on Nov 10, with a total investment of Rp1.1 trillion
The investment fund will be allocated from the state budget under a multi-year contract for a three-year period.
"For the first year in 2018, we will allocate Rp200 billion. In total, we will spend Rp1.1 trillion in stages over a period of three years," Sumadi elaborated.
According to Sumadi, the first stage of construction will include a project to reduce the slope of the track and to recondition other steep and sloping tracks, such as those in the Cicurug area.
The project is aimed at reducing the travel time between the two cities, from two hours earlier to 1.5 hours, while travelling by road will take some five hours.
Sumadi said a faster travel time will improve competitiveness of the railways and help to develop the local tourism sector.
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