Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The development of road infrastructure in Indonesia continues to face serious challenges, primarily due to the high cost of road maintenance, which is more expensive than in countries like the United States and Malaysia.
According to Ir. Purnomo, Chairman V of the Pavement Division of the Indonesian Road Development Association (HPJI), frequent road repairs in Indonesia are the result of poor infrastructure quality.
“The cost of road maintenance in Indonesia is high because roads deteriorate quickly. In other countries, roads can last up to 25–30 years. Here, they must be repaired every 4–5 years,” said Purnomo during a discussion hosted by the Center for Technology & Innovation Studies (CTIS), themed “Challenges in Road Infrastructure Development in Indonesia”, held on Wednesday (May 28) and moderated by Ir. Bambang Goeritno, MSc.MA., Head of Infrastructure Division at CTIS.
Purnomo cited the Jakarta–Bogor–Ciawi (Jagorawi) toll road, inaugurated in 1978, as the best example, as it has never experienced significant damage. He noted that newer toll roads built in the past 10 years have not yet matched Jagorawi’s quality.
In his view, to avoid wasting the budget, concrete solutions are needed, such as improving construction quality, fixing drainage systems, and addressing the issue of Over Dimension Over Load (ODOL) trucks.
During President Joko Widodo’s 10-year administration, the national road budget reached IDR 57 trillion per year, with 50% allocated for maintenance. However, in 2025, the road maintenance budget will be drastically reduced to only IDR 28 trillion.
“The majority of the budget has gone to maintenance because the roads are constantly damaged,” said Purnomo in an official statement on Friday (May 30, 2025).
One indicator of road damage is the International Roughness Index (IRI). In Indonesia, many toll roads have an IRI value of 8 m/km, far exceeding the maximum standard of 4 m/km set by the Directorate General of Highways (Bina Marga).
“My analysis of road conditions from 2015 to 2024 shows early deterioration. The IRI should still be around 3 after five years, but it’s already at 8. This indicates that construction quality is still lacking,” he emphasized.
He estimated that if the quality of road construction were improved, budget savings could reach IDR 5 trillion to IDR 10 trillion per year.
In addition to construction quality, ODOL trucks significantly accelerate road damage. In 2024, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) recorded losses of up to IDR 43 trillion per year due to ODOL.
Although the Road Map to Zero ODOL was introduced in 2020 and planned for implementation in 2023, it continues to be delayed.
“For 50 years, the ODOL issue has remained unresolved. I’ve heard that Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Affairs AHY aims to resolve it by 2026. Let’s wait for that commitment — we, as road experts, are ready to assist in achieving the goal,” he added.
Due to road damage, logistics costs in Indonesia keep rising, reaching the highest in Asia at 23.5% of GDP. The government aims to reduce it to 14.1% of GDP.
ODOL Solution
According to Purnomo, the ODOL problem can be tackled by adding or strengthening the axles of trucks — for example, increasing from two axles to three, four, or even five.
With more axles, the load can be distributed more evenly across the vehicle, reducing pressure on each axle and minimizing overloading risks. Using multi-axle trucks also improves transport efficiency, lowers cost per ton, and reduces the number of trips needed.
The ODOL issue can also be addressed through the use of the Weight in Motion (WIM) System, rather than relying on weighbridges or roadside inspections by the police.
WIM systems are installed on highways and in ports, where they measure the weight of vehicles while in motion using special sensors embedded in the road surface to detect wheel load.
Officers simply monitor vehicles passing through WIM-installed areas from a control room and record any violations. This system works similarly to an electronic ticketing system.
To address road damage, attention must be given to the process of ground leveling to ensure a flat surface that matches the design, eliminating bumps and depressions that may pose safety risks for road users. Road flatness should meet IRI standards to ensure the quality of road construction and provide driver comfort.
The leveling system must comply with road technical requirements, such as having sufficient strength for its design life, ease of maintenance, and an adequate drainage system.
In addition to leveling, soil compaction must be considered to ensure the strength and stability of the subgrade before road construction. According to Purnomo, well-designed flexible pavements should last 20 years, while rigid pavements should last up to 40 years. *
