Riau Islands proposes upgrading 620 km of provincial roads to national status

The Riau Islands Provincial Government is proposing to upgrade the status of approximately 620 kilometers of provincial roads to national roads. This initiative aims to secure funding from the central government through the state budget (APBN) to support road maintenance and development across six regencies and cities.

Rodi Yantari, Head of the Public Works, Spatial Planning, and Land Affairs Office (PUPP), stated that the proposal comes as a response to a decrease in budget allocations for national road programs in the region. Because the current condition of existing national roads in Riau Islands has reached nearly 100 percent stability, central government funding is increasingly being redirected toward preservation and maintenance rather than new construction.

The proposed road segments are spread across several areas, with Lingga holding the longest stretch at 163.93 kilometers, followed by Natuna, Bintan, Karimun, Tanjungpinang, and the Anambas Islands. To qualify for the status upgrade, roads must meet specific criteria, such as connecting industrial centers to government hubs.