Badung Regency Studies Underground Tunnel Plan to Ease Gatsu Barat–Canggu Traffic Congestion

The Badung Regency government in Bali has revealed it is studying the feasibility of building an underground tunnel to address worsening traffic congestion along the Gatsu Barat–Kerobokan–Canggu corridor, an area experiencing rapid residential, economic, and tourism growth. Badung Regent I Wayan Adi Arnawa said underground infrastructure is being considered as an alternative that could boost road capacity and connectivity without large-scale intervention on the surface.

The corridor has drawn special attention as growth in housing, business, and tourism continues to strain surface road capacity. The regent said the plan aims to connect strategic areas such as Canggu with underground infrastructure that could eventually be integrated with modern transportation modes, given the limited space available in Badung.

Officials said factors including connectivity, network capacity, environmental sustainability, community needs, and financing efficiency must be calculated from the earliest planning stages, framing the initiative as part of broader transportation planning rather than a standalone construction project. The regent also emphasized the need for careful regulatory and procurement processes given the strategic nature of the infrastructure.

The Badung government has already held follow-up discussions with PT. Pendar Cahaya Nusantara, a partner of Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. (Singapore) Pte Ltd (STECS), covering technical aspects, capacity, investment estimates, financing schemes, and implementation stages. The results will feed into a roadmap and feasibility study assessing the project's technical, economic, financial, environmental, institutional, and regulatory viability before moving to subsequent stages.