Jakarta, Dec. 6 -- The Indonesian government is accelerating efforts to restore national roads in Aceh damaged by recent floods and landslides, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said.

In a statement on Saturday, he said restoration is underway on national roads along the eastern, western and central crossing routes of the Trans-Sumatra highway network, following disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

"Reopening transportation routes is the top priority before the government proceeds further with the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases of infrastructure," Hanggodo said.

He said the ministry has deployed and reassigned heavy machinery from several infrastructure projects to speed up the reopening of road access in Aceh...