Uluwatu is one of Bali’s busiest tourism resort areas, and the surf haven is perhaps the fastest-growing region of the province.
On 11th February, residents and tourists in Uluwatu were left shocked and confused after the essential Sterling Shortcut was closed, seemingly permanently.
Uluwatu has grown at lightning speed over the last five years. The area now welcomes millions of tourists each year and is among the most sought-after in Indonesia for property developers.
As Uluwatu has grown so quickly, infrastructural issues have become more evident, the most prominent of which is traffic flow.
For centuries, Uluwatu was a rural coastal community tucked away on the Bukit Peninsula, an area of the island that was dependent upon for livestock grazing.
The area’s roads were never built to support such a huge volume of traffic. It has now become something of a grim reality for local communities, long-term international residents, and tourists traveling along main highways like Jalan Labuan Sait, which is gridlocked for much of the day.
Traffic on smaller access roads also backs up just as quickly. In both Uluwatu and Canggu, shortcuts have become lifelines for drivers who need alternative routes to the backup highways, as journeys that should take just 10 minutes often take more than 45 minutes.
On 11th February 2026, drivers intending on passing through the Sterling Shortcut in Uluwatu were met with closure notices and security staff instructing drivers to turn around. The shortcut, which connects world-famous Bingin Beach with Dreamland Beach, Balangan Beach, and the resort of Jimbaran, is a lifeline for many local people who have to commute to the resort areas for work each day.
Without access to the Sterling Shortcut, travel between Uluwatu and Jimbaran can take over an hour, more so at peak rush hour times, and with the shortcut now closed, even more traffic will be forced onto the alternative routes.
The Sterling Shortcut is a private road, though there is speculation that the land has been officially returned to the local government.
There have been no official statements from the landowners or the local government explaining why the route has been closed at this time, without notice.
Local residents have been discussing the issue on the Uluwatu Community Instagram account, with some even suggesting they would pay a toll-style fee to access the road.
One Uluwatu lover wrote, “Honestly, I would be happy to pay a monthly fee to use this road; it was very convenient for everyone (locals, expats, tourists)… now what everyone is supposed to do? Drive in that nightmare tiny road from the Swiss hotel that is filled with holes, constructions, flooding, and trucks?”
However, others have slammed the suggestion of paying for access to the route, although a similar model has been put in place in Canggu.
There is hope that answers will come to light soon so that both residents and tourists can plan their routes accordingly. For the foreseeable future, however, all drivers should plan alternative routes and allow for extra time for traffic.
Traffic congestion is one of the biggest issues facing Bali right now and a problem that leaders are all too acutely aware of.
Over the next ten years, there are plans in place to radically change Bali’s road network, with construction work on some projects due to start this year, including the resumption of work on the Gilimanuk-Medewi Highway, the new Kura Kura Toll Road, the Jimbaran Underpass, and the North-South Toll Road.
In the interim, however, our advice here at The Bali Sun remains the same…leave extra time and bring snacks whenever you’re traveling by road, no matter the time of day or night.
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