The authorities of Gianyar Regency have initiated a large-scale project to ease traffic congestion in Ubud. According to Regent I Made Mahayastra, the main cause of the jams is narrow roads that can't cope with the sharp increase in the number of cars amidst the tourism boom.
“Our roads are in poor condition, while traffic is growing at an enormous rate,” he noted after a session on the regional budget for 2025. To tackle the problem, the government has allocated tens of billions of rupiah in the budget for land acquisition and road expansion.
One of the priority sections will be the intersection at Arjuna Statue in Peliatan: the road here will be expanded from one to two lanes. For this purpose, several buildings will be demolished — a helmet shop, a hair salon, and the traditional building Bale Banjar Ambengan. Residents and the community have already agreed to the demolition. Instead of the lost building, authorities promise to construct a new one north of the current location on state land.
A total of 220 billion rupiah is allocated for road infrastructure in 2025 — 80 billion more than the previous year. Around 80 road sections are planned to be widened by 3–4 meters. The works will not only affect Peliatan but also other key points, including Raya Ambengan Street.
According to Mahayastra's forecast, it won't be possible to completely eliminate traffic jams, but the traffic density will be reduced by 10–30%. “This is a gradual process that needs to continue,” he emphasized, adding that the growth of tourism and population still outpaces infrastructure development.
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