RADAR TULUNGAGUNG – Work on the long-awaited Sambirobyong-Pulotondo road repair in Tulungagung Regency began on Monday (Feb. 23), launching a major effort to restore a key alternative route ahead of the Eid travel season.

Crews started earth-filling operations from the southern end of the project in Pulotondo Village, Ngunut District. Workers deployed heavy machinery early in the morning. They also prepared stockpiles of soil, sand, and stone that trucks had delivered to the roadside a day earlier.

Overnight rain on Sunday left many potholes filled with water, slowing progress on the first day.
Ahmad Rifai Sodik, head of the Highways Division at the Tulungagung Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR), said crews could not fill the cavities immediately.

“Work began this morning, but rain until last night left many potholes full of water. Crews must dry them first; otherwise, the results will not be optimal,” Sodik said on Monday.

Teams now drain and dry each waterlogged pothole before they begin backfilling and compaction. This extra step has extended the early-stage schedule beyond initial estimates.

The 4-kilometer Sambirobyong-Pulotondo road repair project involves a local contractor from Tulungagung. In the first phase, crews focus on closing large potholes to improve immediate safety.

Officials plan to apply a temporary asphalt layer soon after the Eid holiday period begins. They will carry out full resurfacing after Eid al-Fitr. Authorities want residents to travel safely during Lebaran, when traffic usually surges.

“The most important thing is that community activities during Lebaran can run safely. Residents often use this road as an important alternative route,” Sodik said.

Local authorities expect better weather in the coming weeks to accelerate progress. If conditions remain dry, crews can close all major potholes before the Eid exodus begins.

The Tulungagung administration previously announced that the Sambirobyong-Pulotondo rehabilitation stretches from Sambirobyong Village in Sumbergempol District to Pulotondo Village in Ngunut District. The project carries a budget of about Rp6 billion (around US$370,000) and a planned duration of four months.

Despite that timeline, the government has set an accelerated target. Officials want crews to fix the worst damage before the Lebaran homecoming season, when the route becomes a vital corridor for inter-village travel.