Press Release

U.S. Advances Construction on Banda Aceh to Meulaboh Road

Banda Aceh | Monday, November 14, 2005

The U.S. Government awarded a $34.9 million contract to Parsons Global Services Inc., a U.S. firm, for the design and construction supervision services of the road from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh. Design activities are already underway.

The Banda Aceh to Meulaboh Road Project, worth $245 million, is designed to ensure mobility, improve communication, create local jobs, and increase the potential for economic growth in the tsunami-devastated region.

This is the second of three contracts awarded. The 240-kilometer Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road is the economic backbone of the region and is the first step toward reconnecting Western Aceh Province with the rest of North Sumatra and Indonesia.

The first phase of the project reconnected Banda Aceh with Lamno. Through rehabilitation and maintenance work, travel time was reduced by 38%. This second contract for the overall design and construction supervision of the road is critical to realign and/or replace the existing road, no longer useable due to extensive tsunami damage and land mass alterations. A final contract, for the resurfacing, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of the road from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh, will be awarded in May 2006 after the design is complete. The road project is the largest project under a US$400 million effort to support immediate and long-term recovery and reconstruction in Aceh and North Sumatra.

A.S. Majukan Konstruksi Jalan Banda Aceh ke Meulaboh

Pemerintah A.S. memberikan kontrak senilai 34,9 juta dolar kepada Parsons Global Services Inc., sebuah perusahaan A.S., untuk layanan perancangan dan pengawasan konstruksi jalan dari Banda Aceh ke Meulaboh. Berbagai kegiatan perancangan saat ini sedang berlangsung.

Proyek Jalan Banda Aceh ke Meulaboh senilai 245 juta dolar ini dirancang untuk memudahkan mobilitas, memperbaiki komunikasi, menciptakan lapangan kerja di daerah setempat, serta meningkatkan potensi pertumbuhan ekonomi di wilayah yang hancur akibat tsunami.

Ini merupakan kontrak kedua dari tiga kontrak yang diberikan. Jalan sepanjang 240 kilometer dari Banda Aceh menuju Meulaboh menjadi tulang punggung ekonomi wilayah tersebut dan sekaligus merupakan langkah pertama yang dilakukan untuk menghubungkan kembali Provinsi Aceh bagian barat dengan Sumatera Utara dan Indonesia.

Tahap pertama proyek ini menghubungkan kembali Banda Aceh dengan Lamno. Melalui pekerjaan rehabilitasi dan perawatan, waktu perjalanan dapat dikurangi sebesar 38%. Kontrak kedua yang berkenaan dengan rancangan keseluruhan dan pengawasan konstruksi jalan ini sangat penting untuk memperbaiki atau mengganti jalan yang ada saat ini, yang tak lagi dapat digunakan oleh karena kerusakan yang amat parah akibat tsunami serta perubahan struktur tanah. Kontrak terakhir, untuk perawatan permukaan jalan, rehabilitasi, serta rekonstruksi jalan dari Banda Aceh ke Meulaboh, akan diberikan pada Mei 2006 setelah rancangan selesai.

Proyek jalan ini merupakan proyek terbesar yang menjadi bagian dari bantuan senilai $400 juta dolar untuk mendukung pemulihan serta rekonstruksi jangka pendek maupun jangka panjang di Aceh dan Sumatera Utara.

Learn more: Economic Growth | Tsunami Reconstruction | About this activity

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