Erosion complicates space planning for proposed Ngurah Rai–Canggu tram

Seminyak — Badung’s Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency said on September 29, 2026, that removing the coastal retaining wall was not an option under consideration as planners assess space for a proposed electric tram linking I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport with Canggu.

Why it matters: The proposal could affect transport planning and coastal works in Seminyak, Legian, Kuta and Canggu, while construction remains targeted for 2027.

The issue is linked to continuing erosion along the Samigita coastline, which has reduced the space between the road and the shoreline. Bali Post reported that a proposal had emerged to reorganise, and potentially remove, about 4 kilometres of retaining wall along the coastal areas of Seminyak, Legian and Kuta.

Badung agency head Nyoman R. Karyasa said the government was still awaiting a sand-filling project by the Bali-Penida River Basin Organisation to address coastal conditions. He said the retaining wall’s removal had not been adopted as an official option.

The coastal question is one of several issues affecting the planned airport-to-Canggu route. The project is being developed by the Bali provincial government, Badung administration and state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia under an agreement signed on September 1, according to Bali Post.

The planned battery-electric system would run through the airport, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Canggu. Bali Post reported a planned total route length of about 13.1 kilometres, divided into a 6.6-kilometre airport-to-Legian phase and a 6.5-kilometre Legian-to-Seminyak-to-Canggu phase.

Further technical and route studies, along with coordination on land, a depot, permits and connections with other transport services, are still required before construction. Bali Post reported that construction is targeted to begin in 2027.

Sources

• Bali Post
• Bisnis Indonesia