Jakarta. Indonesia has deployed its military to help accelerate the long-delayed Trans Papua Road project, which has faced persistent setbacks due to security threats from armed groups in the region.

The partnership between the Public Works Ministry and the Indonesian Military (TNI) aims to complete the 4,330-kilometer road, which has been under construction since 2014 but has connected only 3,446 kilometers to date.

Major General Kristomei Sianturi, head of the TNI Information Center, said the main obstacle to the project’s completion is the threat posed by armed criminal groups (KKB), citing deadly attacks on construction workers, including the Istaka Karya case in 2018 that resulted in 19 casualties.

“The main challenge in developing the Trans Papua Road is security. It’s been widely reported, like in the Istaka Karya incident that led to deaths,” Kristomei said on Monday.

“Those who have the capability to ensure security are the TNI, working with the Public Works Ministry and others,” he added.

The Trans Papua Road project is backed by Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2020 on accelerating welfare development in Papua and West Papua, issued under former President Joko Widodo. The government now aims to complete the project under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

Director General of Highways at the Public Works Ministry, Roy Rizali Anwar, said the TNI’s support will focus on building access roads in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost areas, including Papua and Kalimantan.

“Construction will target 11 priority locations. We will conduct surveys, calculate the budget needs, and allocate funding through the state budget according to the country’s financial capacity,” Roy said.

In the first quarter of 2024, the consortium of state-owned Hutama Karya and Hutama Karya Infrastruktur won the tender for the Trans Papua Road’s Jayapura–Wamena route, specifically the 50-kilometer Mamberamo–Elelim segment in Papua Highlands Province. The project will be executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

Hutama Karya Executive Vice President Adjib Al Hakim said the project, which has been under study since  September 2022, will require a capital expenditure of Rp 3.3 trillion. The concession period will span 15 years, including two years of construction and 13 years of maintenance.