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President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) delivered a press statement from the Semarang-Demak toll road project site on Thursday (June 10), aired on the Presidential Secretariat's Youtube channel. ANTARA/screenshot-Rangga Pandu Asmara Jingga - 

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) visited Demak district on Friday to review construction work on the Semarang-Demak toll road project, which is part of the Java toll road network on the island's northern coastal corridor.

"This afternoon, I review the Semarang-Demak toll road project, which is part of the Java toll road network, Java's North Coast corridor," Jokowi said while delivering a press statement on the Presidential Secretariat's Youtube channel.

The corridor will connect Semarang, Demak, and Rembang in Central Java with Tuban and Gresik in East Java province.

The Gresik-Surabaya section of the road has been completed, connected to the toll road, and made operational.

"This particular section's length is 26.7 km. Section I of Kaligawe-Sayung stretches 10.39 km and section II of Sayung-Demak is 16.31 km long," Jokowi informed.

Section I of the road was built with government funding, while section II will be built under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

President Jokowi said he hoped that the toll road would significantly reduce traffic congestion on the Kaligawe and Ahmad Yani Airport route.

"This (area) has been (witnessing) traffic jams for decades because of many large vehicles taking on this route," he remarked.

He said the toll road is special because it is multifunctional. In addition to improving connectivity, section I of the Demak toll road will also help control tidal flooding, he explained.

The President expressed the hope that the toll road would be completed so that it can help boost economic growth in Central Java//ANT