Aid in Action

Reconstruction Begins on the Road from Banda Aceh to Meulobah

On August 25, 2005, the U.S. Government began the $245 million Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road reconstruction project.

Banda Aceh | Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Dump trucks dump road materials onto muddy dirt road.

USAID/Caroline Gredler

Construction begins on the 240 kilometer road from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh in Indonesia. The road, destroyed by the tsunami in December 2004, is the economic backbone of the region, connecting Aceh Province with the rest of the country.

On August 25, 2005, the U.S. Government began the $245 million Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road reconstruction project. A $13.5 million contract was awarded to P.T. Wijaya Karya, a reputable Indonesian firm, for the first phase of the road from Banda Aceh to Meuloboh.

During this first phase, P.T Wijaya Karya will construct 20 kilometers of new road, rehabilitate and maintain the existing 80-kilometer road from Banda Aceh to Lamno, and remove bridge debris.

The reconstruction of the Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road will ensure mobility, improve communications, create local jobs, and foster economic growth in the tsunami-devastated region. USAID is committed to engaging communities in the reconstruction process and, through its contractor, will employ Achenese to work on road maintenance and rehabilitation, injecting much needed cash into local communities.

The 240-kilometer Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road is the economic backbone of the region and connects Aceh Province with the rest of North Sumatra and Indonesia. This first phase of the project will reconnect Banda Aceh with Lamno. The second contract will be awarded for the overall design and construction supervision of the road. A third contract will be for the resurfacing, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of the road from Lamno to Meulaboh.

The road project is the largest project under a US$400.1 million U.S. effort to support immediate and long-term recovery and reconstruction in Aceh and North Sumatra.

Learn more: Tsunami Reconstruction | About this activity

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