Press Release

USAID Awards Aceh West Coast Highway Project Contract to South Korean-Indonesian Construction Partners

Banda Aceh | Thursday, June 21, 2007

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today awarded the prime construction contract for completion of the Aceh West Coast Highway project to a partnership between a South Korean firm and an Indonesian firm in a press conference held at the Raba River Bridge outside Banda Aceh.

The partnership of Ssangyong Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. from South Korea and P.T. Hutama Karya from Indonesia will receive the US$108 million contract for the construction and rehabilitation of approximately 115 kilometers of road extending from Banda Aceh to Calang. The project is scheduled to be completed by February 2010.

“With this award, the Banda Aceh to Calang road project can now complete its journey from conceptualization to finalization,” said USAID Mission Director William M. Frej. “This project – conceived during the dark days immediately following the 2004 earthquake and tsunami – is now well on its way to facilitating what is undoubtedly a brilliant future for this province.”

The construction award is a major milestone in the completion of the West Coast Highway – the US$254 million signature project of the U.S. Government’s US$409 million commitment to the overall recovery and reconstruction process in Aceh. As construction activities expand along the route, employment opportunities are developing for local villagers. USAID contractors are building local capacity through training in construction, project management and supervision.

“With the announcement of the selected contractor, the Banda Aceh to Calang road project enters a new phase,” said Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf at the press conference. “As a result, I can state without hesitation that we are literally ready for rebuilding the road – on the road to rebuilding Aceh.”

Mr. Kim Seung Joon, Executive Vice President of Ssangyong Engineering, accepted the award for the partnership. “We look forward to working with PT. Hutama Karya and USAID on this project and are pleased to be involved in the ongoing tsunami reconstruction of Aceh Province,” he said.

The road project is supported by the design and construction management company of Parsons Global Services Inc., a U.S.-based firm, and prime construction contractor P.T. Wijaya Karya (WIKA).

USAID Memberikan Kontrak Proyek Jalan Raya Pesisir Barat Aceh kepada Mitra Konstruksi Korea Selatan-Indonesia

Badan Pembangunan Internasional Pemerintah A.S. (USAID) hari ini memberikan kontrak pembangunan untuk penyelesaian proyek Jalan Raya Pesisir Barat Aceh kepada sebuah kemitraan antara perusahaan Korea Selatan dan perusahaan Indonesia dalam acara konferensi pers di Jembatan Krueng Raba di pinggir kota Banda Aceh.

Kemitraan antara Ssangyong Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. dari Korea Selatan dan P.T. Hutama Karya dari Indonesia ini akan menerima kontrak senilai 108 juta dolar AS untuk pembangunan dan perbaikan jalan sepanjang sekitar 115 kilometer yang membentang dari Banda Aceh ke Calang. Proyek tersebut dijadwalkan selesai pada Februari 2010.

“Dengan pemberian kontrak ini, maka rangkaian proyek pembangunan jalan yang menghubungkan Banda Aceh dan Calang yang dimulai dari tahap konsep sampai tahap final, kini dapat diselesaikan,” kata Direktur USAID William M. Frej. “Proyek ini – yang dirancang pada masa-masa sulit pasca terjadinya bencana gempa bumi dan tsunami 2004 – sekarang siap untuk mendukung masa depan yang cemerlang yang tak diragukan lagi bagi provinsi ini.”

Pemberian kontrak pembangunan ini merupakan tonggak utama dalam penyelesaian Jalan Raya Pesisir Barat senilai 254 juta dolar dari komitmen Pemerintah A.S. senilai 409 juta dolar untuk proses pemulihan dan rekonstruksi menyeluruh di Aceh. Seiring kegiatan pembangunan yang berlangsung di sepanjang jalur proyek ini, kesempatan kerja bagi penduduk setempat terus berkembang. Pihak kontraktor USAID kini terus meningkatkan kapasitas lokal melalui pelatihan konstruksi, manajemen proyek, dan penyeliaan.

“Dengan diumumkannya kontraktor terpilih, proyek pembangunan jalan antara Banda Aceh dan Calang ini memasuki babak baru,” kata Gubernur Aceh Irwandi Yusuf dalam konferensi pers tersebut. “Oleh karenanya, saya tak ragu untuk mengatakan bahwa kita benar-benar telah siap untuk membangun kembali jalan tersebut – dalam rangka membangun kembali Aceh.”

Kim Seung Joon, Wakil Presiden Eksekutif Ssangyong Engineering, menerima pemberian kontrak bagi kemitraan tersebut. “Kami berharap dapat bekerjasama dengan P.T. Hutama Karya dan USAID dalam proyek ini dan kami merasa senang dapat turut serta dalam rekonstruksi pasca tsunami yang tengah berlangsung di Provinsi Aceh,” ujarnya.

Proyek jalan ini didukung oleh perusahaan manajemen desain dan konstruksi Parsons Global Services Inc., sebuah perusahaan yang berpusat di A.S., serta kontraktor pembangunan P.T. Wijaya Karya (WIKA).

Learn more: Tsunami Reconstruction | About this activity

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