Sumedang. After a wait of 12 years, the Cisumdawu Toll Road, spanning 61.6 kilometers and providing access to Kertajati International Airport and the city of Bandung, was inaugurated on Tuesday. 

The toll road, named after the three West Java towns it crosses -- Cileunyi, Sumedang, and Dawuan -- connects the northern coast toll road and the Cipularang toll road near Bandung, offering easier access to the West Java capital from the east.

In addition, it cuts the travel distance from Bandung to Kertajati Airport or other destinations in Central and East Java, as travelers can bypass the busy Cikampek intersection.

The construction of the toll road, which began in 2011, faced numerous challenges, particularly related to land clearance. 

President Joko Widodo acknowledged these difficulties during a ceremony marking the launch of the Cisumdawu Toll Road in Sumedang. 

"There were many problems in the ground, particularly regarding the land clearance process," he said.

With an overall cost of Rp 18.3 trillion ($1.2 billion), the project received funding from the state budget, covering approximately half of the expenses. The toll road features iconic twin tunnels spanning 472 meters, a unique feature not found in any other toll road across Indonesia. 

"There is no other toll road across Indonesia that passes through two tunnels like this," the president said.

Jalan Tol Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) yang menghubungkan Kota Bandung dari Jalan Tol Cipularang ke Jalan Tol Cipali telah selesai dibangun, dan saya resmikan hari ini. Jalan tol sepanjang 61,6 km ini akan mempermudah konektivitas menuju Bandara Internasional Kertajati di… pic.twitter.com/57HlmFvw4W

— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) July 11, 2023

Prior to the toll road inauguration, the president visited Kertajati Airport in Majalengka, West Java. Although the airport was inaugurated in May 2018, it has faced criticism regarding its economic benefits due to limited air traffic. Currently, the airport mainly serves Hajj pilgrims for their religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

However, the president said that the airport has not operated at full capacity.

"It will operate at full capacity in October, meaning that [flights] to Husein Sastranegara Airport will be redirected to Kertajati, especially jet planes," he said.

The launch of the Cisumdawu toll road is expected to support the relocation of airport loads from Bandung to Kertajati, as the travel time between the two points has been reduced to just one hour. 

"I believe the airport will be a very busy airport in the future," the president said.