Major Road Collapse In Central Ubud Impacts Bali Travelers’ Day Trip Plans 

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A major road in one of Bali’s busiest tourism hotspots has collapsed due to heavy rainfall and flooding. Tourists traveling to Ubud are being warned that since the road is not fully closed, traffic in the area will be increasingly bad. 

Ubud is one of Bali’s busiest tourism resorts. With Christmas just days away, the island is expecting to welcome more than 1.5 million tourists, with a huge percentage of these visitors set to explore Ubud.

The town has been left shocked by the collapse of a sizeable section of Jalan Jaya Ubud, the main high street in Bali’s arts and culture capital. 

The road collapse is in Banjar Ambengan, just metres from the Eiger Adventure store, very close to the Arjuna Statue Intersection, where tourists turn left to drive towards the Tegalalang Rice Terraces.

One resident on the scene told reporters, “The excessive volume of water caused the road to collapse. The damage was initially minor, but due to the vibrations from the constant passing of large and small vehicles, the cracks eventually widened.”

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Due to the size of the road collapse, the whole of the road has been closed, as with more heavy rains on the way, the land could collapse and sink further. The Regional Secretary (Sekda) of Gianyar Regency, I Gusti Bagus Adi Widya Utama, told reporters that from now on, managing traffic flow away from Ubud’s busiest street is a top priority.

Utama explained, “We’ve coordinated with the Transportation Agency and the Police Chief to conduct traffic simulations. Starting tomorrow morning (today), we’ll be flexible with traffic flow, possibly converting one-way lanes to two-way lanes or other schemes.”

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Tourists traveling to, through, or near Ubud must anticipate huge amounts of traffic in the coming days. Jalan Raya Ubud is one of the busiest roads in Central Bali, and the collapsed road is located just meters from one of the most congested intersections in the area.

Leaders had already been seeking to conduct major redevelopment works around the Arjuna Statue Intersection due to the high volumes of traffic that get stuck, and this latest incident will only make matters worse in the short term. 

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Tourists must anticipate that their drivers will have no option but to follow diversions and point out that they will take less direct routes from central Ubud towards the area’s top attractions, including the Tegalalang Rice Terraces, Goa Gajah, and Tirta Empul Temple. Simply put, tourists must now allow even more drive time when traveling around Ubud. 

He added, “The Public Works team has conducted a technical inspection. The plan is to install stakes first as a temporary measure. We hope at least one lane can be reopened soon for residents and tourists.”

This is not the only major road collapse affecting busy tourist routes in Bali right now. On the 12th December, a section of the Penelokan Main Road in Kintamani collapsed just meters away from some of the town’s most popular cafes and eateries.

The Bangli Regency Public Works, Spatial Planning, Housing, and Settlements Agency confirmed to reporters that the road will be rebuilt as quickly as possible, but that tourists must expect traffic management systems to be in place until at least the New Year, when work can be completed.

Bali is in the midst of the rainy season. This rainy season typically runs until the end of March and early April.

This has, so far, been one of the worst rainy years to hit Indonesia in living memory, with devastating floods hitting Bali back in September and horrific flooding in Sumatra too. 

Tourists are urged to ensure that they have fully comprehensive travel insurance prior to traveling to Indonesia. It is also essential for tourists to observe extreme weather warnings and respect the safety advice issued by attractions, tourism staff, and local leaders.