Bali’s Nusa Penida is one of the most in-demand travel destinations in all of Indonesia right now. The outlying island is best known for iconic landmarks like Kelingking Beach and Diamond Beach, and is seeing more tourists stay for longer.
With more visits comes more investment and more development on the island, and access across the island is about to get a whole lot smoother for local residents and tourists.
The Klungkung Regency Government, which oversees Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan, and areas like Semarapura on mainland Bali, has begun accelerating priority infrastructure development in the Nusa Penida District.
One of the infrastructure projects is the Sampalan-Toyapakeh Road improvement work package, which was officially launched by Klungkung Regent I Made Satria and members of the Klungkung Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) earlier this week.
In practical terms, the Sampalan-Toyapakeh Road Project is a complete upgrade to an approximately 8km stretch of road that has long been a vital route for local residents and tourists visiting Nusa Penida.
Besides connecting the port area and community centers, it also serves as the main access to several tourist destinations in the western region of Nusa Penida.
Over the last few years, both Nusa Penida residents and tourists have frequently submitted complaints about the damaged, potholed, and bumpy road conditions. The uneven road surface had even been acknowledged as a threat to safety, not only making for uncomfortable journeys.
The poor quality of the road also led to traffic congestion as drivers had to drive slowly and dodge potholes and eroded tarmac. Traffic congestion on the stretch of road had also intensified over the last few years as a result of increased tourist visits to the island, resulting in more tourist vehicles and goods vehicles supplying the tourism sector.
Speaking to reporters, Klungkung Regent, Made Satria, confirmed that the local government is committed to gradually resolving road infrastructure issues in Nusa Penida. He explained that improving the Sampalan-Toyapakeh Road is a top priority because it directly impacts public mobility and the tourism sector.
Regent Satria told reporters, “We ask the public to be patient during the construction process. The Klungkung Regency Government is fully committed to immediately completing the repairs to the damaged roads in Nusa Penida.”
Speaking to the Head of the Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Department of Klungkung Regency separately, Made Jati Laksana, explained that the Sampalan-Toyapakeh Road improvement project will be carried out by PT Aditya Sinar Pratama with CV Dinamika Desain as the supervising consultant.
The project contract is set at IDR 50,684,831,307. The construction period is set at 240 calendar days, and the maintenance period at 360 calendar days. Funding will come from a loan disbursed to PT BPD Bali this year, amounting to IDR 114.1 billion.
This means that construction work will be taking place throughout the upcoming high season when Nusa Penida is expected to welcome upwards of one million visitors.
Tourists planning on visiting Nuaa Penida in the coming months must expect to encounter construction and project development work across the island. Not only is the Sampalan-Toyapakeh Road Project impacting travel along the island’s main road, but demolition work continues to take place at the Nusa Penida Glass Elevator Project at Kelingking Beach.
The Nusa Penida Glass Elevator Project is one of the most controversial projects Bali has ever seen. The company behind the new tourist attraction has been given formal demolition orders from the Bali Provincial Government, even though the project has been under construction for more than one year and is more than 50% completed.
The company was given six months to remove all the construction to date and restore the natural landscape. Demolition work has ground to a halt, though the area is still a construction site, as the company behind the project has filed a lawsuit against the Bali Provincial Government for financial damages.
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