Major Road Repairs May Impact Traffic Congestion In Bali Tourism Hotspot

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Tourists planning to travel within Tabanan regency or along the Denpasar-Gilimanuk Highway during their upcoming trip to Bali must be aware of major disruptions that will be in place for at least a month. 

A huge sinkhole appeared in the centre of the Denpasar-Gilimanuk Highway on Sunday afternoon. The sinkhole appeared in Bajera Village, in front of Bajera Market, in Tabanan Regency, just a 15-minute drive away from popular tourist hotspot Soka Beach.

The Denpasar-Gilimanuk Highway is the main highway connecting central Bali to the west of the island, and onward to East Java. It is the busiest logistics highway in Bali, and is the road used by truck drivers and delivery vehicles transporting goods from Java to Bali and vice versa. 

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The sinkhole has caused travel chaos around Bajera Village, with some truck drivers stranded for three days, parked on the side of the road, unable to pass through.

Roni, a truck driver from Central Java working in Bali, told reporters,  “Initially, I knew there was a road collapse, Sunday afternoon at 5:00 PM WITA. I already knew and was asked to turn back to Singaraja, but I didn’t dare to use that route because of the high risk, especially for long trucks. Finally, I still dared to go through here (Bajera), just in case I could pass, but it turned out I wasn’t allowed because the collapse was wide.”

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He added, “There are actually two routes through to Karangasem. But the operational costs are high, especially since I’m a driver who uses a deposit system. But it’s also impossible to wait for this to take a month to complete the roadworks. I’m still confused, waiting for the boss’s decision first.”

Speaking to reporters following the incident, local Police Chief, Commissioner I Wayan Swastika, explained that traffic officers are on standby to assist drivers, and that as it stands, travel congestion is present, but being managed as best as possible. He shared, “There are no long traffic jams except in the Singaraja-Denpasar area via Gitgit-Bedugul.”

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The impact on tourists traveling in Bali over the coming month will be undeniable. As the trucks that usually travel along the Denpasar-Gilimanuk Highway will have to divert through Tabanan, towards the north, or even double back as far as Karangasem Regency in order to navigate through the northernmost regions of the island, the additional traffic on smaller roads will likely cause delays and congestion around Bali’s most popular attractions. 

Tourists traveling to areas within Tabanan Regency, including Tanah Lot Temple, Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, and even the Bedugul Highlands, which border Buleleng Regency, are highly advised to leave ample time to travel between destinations. The issue is expected to impact domestic tourists most readily, though many thousands of international tourists will have their travel plans impacted by the road disruptions either directly or indirectly. 

Bali’s Governor Koster has called for the sink hole and road repairs to be completed within 3 weeks, but even with contractors working around the clock, leaders are concerned about spiralling costs and the massive impact on local businesses. 

Speaking to reporters, Prof. Dr. Ida Bagus Raka Suardana, an economist at the National Education University, shared his concerns that the majority disruption of the transportation of goods in and out of Bali will lead to prices rising in the coming months.

He told reporters that the disruption of the national road in Bajera would increase travel times and logistics costs for distributors who rely on land routes.

Delayed deliveries and increased transportation costs could potentially disrupt the supply of goods in the market. 

“This clearly raises concerns about price pressures, particularly for strategic food commodities like rice, cooking oil, and several other commodities. Therefore, the potential for price increases is highly concerning, especially in downstream areas like Denpasar and Badung, which rely on supplies from the western region.”