Evaluation and Traffic Management at the intersection of Jalan Lalove–Jalan Jati and Jalan Lalove–Jalan Emmy Saelan due to the Operational Impact of the Palu V Bridge

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Palu, Central Sulawesi— Evaluation and Traffic Management at the intersection of Jalan Lalove–Jalan Jati and Jalan Lalove–Jalan Emmy Saelan due to the Operational Impact of the Palu V Bridge. This research was conducted by Arifky, Taslim Bahar, and Arief Setiawan from the Master of Civil Engineering Program, Tadulako University in a scientific article published in the East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR) Volume 5 Number 2 of 2026.

Research conducted by Arifky, Taslim Bahar, and Arief Setiawan revealed that the opening of access to the Palu V Bridge triggered a significant redistribution of traffic flow, especially at the intersection of Jalan Lalove-Jati and Jalan Emmy Saelan-Anoa-Lalove.

New infrastructure, traffic patterns are changing

The Palu V Bridge was built as an alternative route after the earthquake and tsunami disaster that damaged the city's infrastructure, including the Palu IV Bridge. It is hoped that this bridge can reduce the traffic burden in the city center and facilitate connectivity between regions in West Palu and South Palu.

However, the results of the study show that the new additional access not only reduces the load at one point, but also moves the flow of vehicles to another intersection.

During the afternoon peak hours (16.30–17.30 WITA), the volume of vehicles at:

1.      The Emmy Saelan-Anoa-Lalove intersection reached around 3,182 vehicles equivalent to passenger cars (pcu/hour)

2.      Simpang Jati–Lalove reached around 2,894 pcu/hour

The researcher noted an increase in new movements of 1,423 pcu/hour, consisting of:

1. 653 pcu/hr from Emmy Saelan to Jati
2. 769 pcu/hour from Jati to Emmy Saelan

This figure shows a considerable change in flow due to the operation of the Palu V Bridge.

Some sections improved, some were close to saturated

In terms of road performance, several segments actually showed improvements after the bridge was operational.

For example:

1. The northern and southern parts of Emmy Saelan are still able to flow vehicles well.
2. The average speed of vehicles in some segments reaches around 42 km/h.
3. The degree of saturation (DS) in a number of sections is still below the critical limit of 0.85.

However, different conditions were found at the Jati-Lalove unsignaled intersection.

During afternoon rush hour, the volume to capacity ratio (V/C) reaches around 1.01, which means that the volume of vehicles almost exceeds the road's ideal capacity. This condition has the potential to cause queues and flow slowdowns if not managed with additional traffic engineering. The Level of Service (LOS) analysis also showed a variation in conditions, from the good category (A and B) to the low category at some intersection approaches that showed high potential delays.

The composition of the vehicle is dominated by motorcycles

This study also identified the composition of vehicles at the two main intersections.

At the Emmy Saelan–Anoa–Lalove intersection:

1. Motorcycles: about 57%
2. Light vehicles: about 40 %
3. Heavy vehicles: about 2 %

At the Jati–Lalove intersection:

1. Motorcycles: about 65 %
2. Light vehicles: about 31 %
3. Heavy vehicles: about 2 %

Traffic engineering is key

According to researchers from Tadulako University, the development of new infrastructure needs to be followed by a thorough evaluation of the surrounding road network. Without adaptive traffic management, new bridges can create new "bottle neck points".

Some of the recommended strategic steps include:

1. Re-evaluate the traffic signal settings at strategic intersections.
2. Review of the capacity and road geometry on the intersection approach.
3. Current engineering and vehicle priority setting at signalless intersections.
4. Periodic monitoring of the volume of vehicles after the operation of new infrastructure.

A data-driven approach like this is considered important so that infrastructure development is not only physical, but also improves the efficiency of the city's transportation system as a whole.

Relevance for emerging cities

The findings provide an important lesson for other cities in Indonesia that are building bridges, flyovers, or alternative roads. New infrastructure does improve connectivity, but without integrated traffic management planning, the redistribution of vehicle flows can create new pressures on existing intersections.

This study emphasizes that the solution to congestion is not enough by adding a road network, but rather a comprehensive and sustainable management of the transportation system.

Author profile

Arifky –Tadulako University.

Taslim Bahar - Tadulako University.

Arief Setiawan –Tadulako University

Research source

Arifky, Bahar, T., & Setiawan, A. (2026). Evaluation and Traffic Management of The Intersection of Lalove Road–Jati Road and Lalove Road–Emi Saelan Road Due to the Impact of the Operation of Palu V Bridge.

East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 477–496.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i2.1

Official URL: https://mtiformosapublisher.org/index.php/eajmr