Indonesia Papua Road Network

There is currently no connecting road network throughout the Papua province, particularly in the central highlands.  Where there is road access it is centred around major towns and where possible spreads out to more regional areas.  Roads are a combination of asphalt and dirt/gravel in more inaccessible locations.  There is currently no road that links Jayapura in the North to Merauke in the South of the highlands.    

The development of the “Trans Papua” road is on-going.  This road aims to link all the major towns in the Papua central highlands via an asphalt road.  The interconnected highways would connect seven regions, namely Nabire - Waghete - Enarotali sepanjang (262 km), Timika -Mapurujaya - Pomako (42 km), Serui - Menawi - Saubeba (49 km),Jayapura - Wamena - Mulia (733 km), Jayapura - Sarmi (364 km), Jayapura - Hamidi - Holtekam - Skow - Papua New Guinea border (53 km) and Merauke – Waropko (557 km).

Construction on the road has been on-going for many years and there is currently no date for completion as it is dependent upon funding.  However, parts of this road have been completed, for example the roads in the Merauke district are now complete with asphalt up to the district border.  In other sections of the road it is classified as “jungle” as is only able to be passed with a 4x4 vehicle if there has been no rains or other issues for a number of weeks.

Wamena is not accessible by road from any direction and air operations are the only option for the movement of passengers and cargo.

For information on Indonesia Road Network contact details, please see the following link:

4.2.1 Indonesia Government Contact List

Distance Matrix – Jayapura Area

Jayapura to Senggi is 159kms of asphalt road, after this the road to Wamena is classified as “jungle”.

Distance Matrix – Biak Area

Distance Matrix – Merauke Area

All the roads listed above are asphalt and are available for all vehicle access.

Distance Matrix – Wamena Area

Wamena to Elelin is an asphalt road. In general the roads are in a poor condition and very narrow in this area.

Travel Time Matrix

Travel times for the Papua central highlands are unpredictable and it is recommended to refer to conditions on the ground when making arrangements.

Road Security

As road conditions can be unpredictable due to weather conditions, planning in advance of any mission is advised.  In Wamena and the surrounding areas, there have been instances in the past of violence against vehicles or their occupants.  Therefore, checks should be made with the local Papuan authorities as well as UNDSS for security issues along the road network

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

Roads that are dirt or gravel should use 4x4 vehicle transport only and carry a maximum load of 3 tonnes.
The bridges in Biak province are wooden and the maximum load for use is 10mt.
Road transportation in Wamena is via 4x4 vehicles and the maximum load is 5mt.