---
title: "Buying Roadside Land: Setbacks and Road Widening Plans"
description: "Land on a main road looks like a strong location, but its front strip may sit inside the road right-of-way or a widening plan. How to check before you buy in Kalimantan."
url: "https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/tanah-pinggir-jalan-dan-pelebaran/"
lang: "en"
image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1726592058631-53c122897a5b?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1280&q=70"
---

# Buying Roadside Land: Setbacks and Road Widening Plans

Vorneo Property · [Tips & Inspection](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/topik/tips-survei/) · 2026-11-06

Land beside a main road almost always looks attractive. Traffic is heavy, the address is easy to find, and it suits a shophouse, a workshop or a small business. In Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru, the land marketed along streets such as Gatot Subroto, Gubernur Soebardjo and A. Yani often falls into this category.

But the front strip of that land can hide two problems you can't see from the road: part of it may already be inside the road's right-of-way, or it may be hit by a widening one day. This guide covers the terms, how widening is usually handled, and the steps to check before you pay.

## Three layers of space beside a road

Government Regulation (PP) No. 34 of 2006 on Roads splits the space along a road into three parts:

- **Ruang manfaat jalan (rumaja, road benefit space).** The road body, the roadside drain and its safety strip. This is the part vehicles and pedestrians use.
- **Ruang milik jalan (rumija, road right-of-way).** The rumaja plus a strip of land beside it. It is meant for widening the road, adding lanes in future and protecting the road. Rumija land is held by the road authority under a specific right.
- **Ruang pengawasan jalan (ruwasja, road supervision space).** Space outside the rumija whose use is supervised by the road authority, so drivers' sight lines stay clear and the road structure isn't disturbed.

This matters because it decides how close you may build, and whether some of the land at the front is really still owned by the buyer or the seller.

## Minimum widths for rumija and ruwasja

PP 34/2006 sets the minimum rumija width by road class:

| Road type | Minimum rumija width |
|---|---|
| Freeway (jalan bebas hambatan) | 30 m |
| Highway (jalan raya) | 25 m |
| Medium road (jalan sedang) | 15 m |
| Small road (jalan kecil) | 11 m |

If the rumija isn't wide enough, the ruwasja is measured from the edge of the road body with these minimums: primary arterial 15 m, primary collector 10 m, primary local 7 m, primary neighbourhood road 5 m, secondary arterial 15 m, secondary collector 5 m, secondary local 3 m and secondary neighbourhood road 2 m.

These are national minimums. The real width on the ground can be larger, and the road authority marks the rumija boundary. Don't guess from the width of the asphalt. Ask for the official boundary.

## The rumija is not the same as the building setback

People mix these two up.

The rumija is about who controls the land. The building setback line (GSB) is about how far back a building must sit. The GSB is usually set in local rules and the spatial plan, and measured from a reference point such as the road centreline or the rumija boundary. The reference point can differ from one region to another.

So two plots facing the same road can have different building limits. The article on [what KDB, KLB and GSB mean](/en/artikel/kdb-klb-dan-gsb/) shows how to calculate the effect of the GSB on building area, so it isn't repeated here.

PP 34/2006 also forbids using the rumija in a way that disturbs the road's function. Its explanatory text names houses, gates and guard posts as examples of such interference. Using the rumija for anything other than its purpose needs a permit from the road authority, and the permit holder must restore the space to its original state at their own cost if the road needs it.

## What happens when a road is widened

Widening a public road counts as a purpose for land acquisition for the public interest under Law No. 2 of 2012. The main points of that law:

- Land is acquired with fair and just compensation.
- An appraiser values compensation plot by plot, covering the land, the space above and below it, buildings, plants, objects tied to the land and other losses that can be valued.
- Compensation can take the form of money, replacement land, resettlement, shares, or another form that both sides agree on.
- If there is no agreement, the owner can lodge an objection with the district court, within a short deadline.

Two things often disappoint buyers:

1. **A rumija strip that was already acquired.** If the land at the front was paid for before, or is already held by the road authority, that strip may be treated differently from land that was never acquired. Old certificates sometimes haven't been updated to match this, so ask the road authority for a written explanation.
2. **A remaining plot that becomes too narrow.** After the front is cut off, what is left may not fit the building you planned, especially if a new GSB is measured from the new road edge. Compensation covers the part taken, and the loss in value to you as a buyer can be far larger than that.

Widening also doesn't always happen. A plan on paper can sit for years, or it can move much faster than the seller expects. Don't base a price on word of mouth.

## Steps to check before buying

1. **Find out the road's status.** Roads are grouped by status: national, provincial, regency, city or village. Each has a different authority, and that decides whom you ask.
2. **Ask the road authority.** For a national road, the national road agency. For a provincial road, the provincial PUPR office. For a city or regency road, the local PUPR office. Ask how wide the rumija is on that stretch, where the boundary markers are, and whether a widening or other road works are planned in the next few years.
3. **Request the KRK (keterangan rencana kota, the local planning statement)** from the spatial planning office. The GSB figures and the planned road network at that location are usually there. The article on [checking spatial planning and zoning](/en/artikel/cek-tata-ruang-tanah/) explains how to find it.
4. **Measure on site.** Bring a tape or a laser measure and measure from the plot's boundary stakes to the edge of the asphalt and to the power poles. Compare the result with the certificate or the plot sketch. The general survey guide is in [surveying vacant land before you buy](/en/artikel/survei-tanah-kosong/).
5. **Match the certificate to reality.** Look at the plot drawing (gambar situasi) on the certificate and compare it with where the road is now. If the road edge seems to sit further in than the boundary on the drawing, ask whether that strip was ever acquired.
6. **Check the access.** On a big road, the entrance to the plot, the median and the U-turn points decide whether a business is really easy to reach. The articles on [land without road access](/en/artikel/tanah-tanpa-akses-jalan/) and the [Ahmad Yani corridor](/en/artikel/koridor-jalan-ahmad-yani-banjarmasin-banjarbaru/) cover this side.
7. **Write everything down.** The officer's name, the date and the letter number. A verbal answer at a counter is hard to rely on later.

## Using what you find to negotiate

Once the results are in, there are three possible outcomes:

- **No widening plan and clear boundaries.** Paying the full roadside price is reasonable, as long as the other checks are clean.
- **A widening plan, but enough land remains.** Work out the net usable area and ask for the price to be based on that area, not the area on the certificate.
- **Not enough land remains, or the widening is close.** Consider walking away, or ask the seller to wait until the acquisition is finished.

Don't forget the parts unrelated to the road, such as disputes and the status of the title. The warning signs are listed in [how to avoid land disputes when buying](/en/artikel/menghindari-sengketa-tanah/), and the general picture for South Kalimantan is in [tips for buying land in South Kalimantan](/en/artikel/tips-beli-tanah-kalsel/).

## If you already own roadside land

Owners of roadside land should know their position too. Before you sell or build, ask for the rumija boundary and the GSB first. That keeps you from building on a strip that may later have to be torn down, and it makes your asking price easier for buyers to trust.

If you want your roadside land marketed, or need help with a site survey, Vorneo can help through [list your property for sale](/en/titip-jual/) or the [contact page](/en/kontak/).

## Common Questions

### What is the difference between the road right-of-way (rumija) and the building setback?

The rumija is the space held by the road authority, made up of the road itself and a strip of land beside it kept for widening. The building setback line (GSB, garis sempadan bangunan) is a line on the plot that a building may not cross. The GSB is usually set by the local government and can sit further inside than the edge of the rumija.

### If my land is hit by a road widening, do I get compensation?

For a public road built through land acquisition for the public interest, the rightful owner is entitled to fair and just compensation, valued by an appraiser plot by plot. A strip that was already acquired or already sits inside the rumija may be treated differently, so ask the road authority for a written explanation.

### Who should I ask about a widening plan for a particular road?

Ask the road authority that matches the road's status: the national road agency for a national road, the provincial public works office (PUPR) for a provincial road, and the city or regency PUPR office for a city or regency road. Then compare the answer with the spatial plan at the spatial planning office.

## Related Articles

- [How to Use the BHUMI ATR/BPN Map to Check a Land Parcel](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/peta-bhumi-atr-bpn/)
- [How to Inspect the Roof and Gutters of a Used House Before You Buy](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/cek-atap-dan-talang-rumah-bekas/)
- [Checking Bathrooms, Drains and Septic Tanks Before Buying a House](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/cek-kamar-mandi-dan-septic-tank/)

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