Residents and business owners in Denpasar have been raising concerns about the amount of air pollution and congestion caused by renovations to bridges along Jalan Gatsu Timur. Construction work has been ongoing on three bridges along the highway for over a year. The increase in construction dust, air pollution, and lengthy traffic jams has pushed residents to breaking point.
Jalan Gatsu Timur Bridge sits in North Denpasar, between Lumintang Park and Kertalangu Cultural Village. According to residents improvements to the bridge should be close to completion yet it seems the construction is far from finished.
Residents have complained about the increased air pollution since the beginning of the project. The construction dust adds to the already low air quality in Denpasar. They noted that the dust rises from the construction sites and is then kicked up again by vehicles crossing the bridge. Large construction machinery has regularly been left parked on the street, adding to already chaotic traffic jams.
The construction project has been undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. There have been suggestions online that the department should focus just as much effort on serving the Balinese community as there is an effort to impress world leaders visiting the island for the G20 Summit in November. This week the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing announced a multi-million dollar project to build a VVIP terminal at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport.
