Delays at the crossing after a ferry disaster, traffic jams due to road collapse - for more than two weeks, transportation between Bali and Java was hindered. Both incidents seriously complicated logistics, affecting both cargo shipments and the flow of tourists. Bikers and motorists were forced to spend significantly more time on the road than usual. But now local authorities have reported the complete restoration of traffic. The ferry crossing over the Bali Strait is operating normally again, and the Gilimanuk-Denpasar national highway is open.
Problems began on July 2nd when the ferry KMP Tunu Pratama sank in the Bali Strait. It was traveling from Ketapang (Java) to Gilimanuk (Bali) with 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles on board. The disaster resulted in 18 deaths, and 17 people are still missing.
This tragedy prompted a full-scale inspection. The Ministry of Transportation urgently inspected 54 vessels, and only 45 were permitted to operate. This sharply reduced the frequency of crossings and led to long queues on both sides of the strait. Dozens of trucks with goods had to wait for hours or even days for loading.
It took several days to get the ferries back in service. It was only by July 19th that representatives of the state company ASDP Indonesia Ferry reported the stabilization of the situation. Queues in Gilimanuk were completely eliminated, while in Ketapang, there were still some vehicle congestions over the weekend, but they were rapidly decreasing.
According to Shelvy Arifin, Corporate Secretary of ASDP, all processes from loading to unloading are now running smoothly. The company has also strengthened control over the weight and distribution of cargo on board, which has been one of the key causes of accidents in the past.
ASDP representatives also expressed gratitude to passengers and carriers for their patience and emphasized that safety is the top priority. To prevent a recurrence, additional measures have been taken: reserve vessels are prepared, traffic distribution at port entrances is organized, and route optimization is planned.
However, during these days, carriers faced delays not only at the crossing. On July 7th, a section of the Gilimanuk-Denpasar national highway collapsed. The cause was the collapse of an irrigation channel beneath the road surface, resulting in a sinkhole about 8 meters deep.
Traffic on the highway, a key route between the west and south of the island, was blocked. Trucks had to detour via the north and east of Bali, causing delivery delays and affecting the tourist infrastructure.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster took control of the situation. According to him, the authorities immediately contacted the Ministry of Public Works and agreed to expedite the repairs. Although initially three weeks were planned for road surface restoration, the work was completed in just 13 days. Moreover, as assured by the Bali governor, government officials personally inspected the road condition before reopening.
Thanks to this, on Saturday, July 19th, both ferry operations in the Bali Strait and traffic on the Gilimanuk-Denpasar highway were restored simultaneously.
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