Traffic congestion in Bali, particularly in the areas of Uluwatu, Ungasan, and South Kuta, is becoming increasingly severe. The situation is especially dire during major holidays and vacation periods. Badung Secretary I Wayan Adi Arnawa highlighted that the growing number of tourists has not been matched by adequate infrastructure development, leading to traffic jams.
The increased traffic negatively impacts local residents, expatriates, and tourists, who end up spending a significant part of their short vacations stuck in traffic. To address this issue, the Badung district government is planning the construction of a Southern Ring Road. Currently, the road construction is progressing into the Jimbaran area, with the local residents' agreement phase already completed.
"We are now in the process of determining the road's location," said Made Dharmayasa, head of the Jimbaran Village Community Empowerment Institute.
Dharmayasa explained that the agreement process has gone smoothly so far. The construction process involves several stages: socialization, location determination, and then compensation for the land used by the project.
Arnawa mentioned that the first phase of the road construction from Siligita Street to Sawangan in Nusa Dua is complete. The next phase will connect Karang Mas, Puri Gading, and Uluwatu streets.
He also noted that the frequent traffic jams on Jalan Raya Uluwatu, right in front of the GWK Cultural Park, are due to the fact that there is only one access road. Considering this, the Badung Regency government is planning a new access route from the south, with land acquisition for this project expected to be completed by 2024. A budget of 250 billion Indonesian rupiahs has been allocated for this purpose.
According to Arnawa, in 2025, the government will add another 300 billion Indonesian rupiahs for further land purchases. He continued, "We will also extend the toll road southward towards Sawangan, which is part of the Southern Ring Road, providing access to Denpasar for people in Ungasan and Kutuh. You won't have to drive through GWK; you can simply use the toll road."
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