Milestone under ADB Financed Roads Project Reached (ADB)

Asian Development Bank

Banda Aceh, INDONESIA – On Wednesday 5 March 2008, officials from BRR, the Indonesian government’s agency responsible for post-tsunami and earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh and Nias, the Banda Aceh city government as well as from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) witnessed the placement of a beam of the Laguna Bridge, an important milestone under the ongoing project for the reconstruction of the roads linking the port area at Ulee Lheue to the city center of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD), and to the Aceh West Coast Road.

“This project is the crown jewel of the reconstruction projects in Banda Aceh,” says Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Head of BRR. “I’m eager to see its successful completion in November this year.”

The mayor of Banda Aceh, Mawardi Nurdin, says, “We’d like to give great thanks to ADB for its many contributions to Banda Aceh, such as this road, the many houses rebuilt as well as other public facilities.”

The road project serves the Meuraxa communities as well as providing access to the ports serving the Banda Aceh fishing industry and the ferry service to Sabang on Pulau Weh, which is a well-know tourist destination and has the potential to become a regional deep sea water port.

The December 2004 earthquake and tsunami caused widespread damage to the residential and commercial areas as well as infrastructure and roads in the Ulee Lheue - Meuraxa area. In addition, ground levels were distorted with some places subsiding more than one meter causing much of what was formerly dry land to be submerged, with other areas being higher than previously.

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