Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk

Gajah Mada Street, Hayam Wuruk Street

Jalan Gajah Mada, Jalan Hayam Wuruk
The north end of Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk Street
Former name(s)	Molenvliet Oost, Molenvliet West
Length	2.84 km (1.76 mi)
Location	Jakarta, Indonesia
South end	Harmoni Junction
Major junctions	Jl. KH. Hasyim Ashari, Jl. Batu Ceper, Jl. KH. Zinul Arifin-Jl. Sukarjo Wiryopranoto,
North end	Jembatan Penghubung Glodok
Construction
Completion	1648

Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk (Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk Streets), formerly Molenvliet West and Molenvliet Oost respectively, is a major thoroughfare located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The two streets with its canal, the Batang Hari (formerly the Molenvliet), connected Glodok and Kota Tua Jakarta to the north with Harmoni Junction to the south. Completed in late 1640s, the canal-street Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk is Jakarta's oldest major thoroughfare.

At its northernmost point, Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk began at a junction where Jalan Pancoran, Jalan Pintu Besar Selatan, and Jalan Pinangsia Raya met (directly below the Glodok pedestrian link). The road ran toward the south parallel with the Batang Hari canal (official but not a very well-known name of the historic Molenvliet) until Harmoni Junction, a point where the roads stop. the Molenvliet however continued toward the east to reach Ciliwung. Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk is the oldest thoroughfare in Jakarta. The canal road traverse through the oldest China Town in Batavia. The road contains a mix of 18th-century Dutch colonial buildings, Chinese architecture, and newer modern buildings. Some of the oldest neighborhood of Batavia, e.g. Kebon Jeruk and Mangga Besar, was located along Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk.

The northern portion of the canal-road is within the administrative city of West Jakarta, while the southern portion is within Central Jakarta. The boundary of the two administrative cities is located at the junction of Jalan Sukarjo Wiryopranoto.

The first tramway of Jakarta (now defunct) pass through Molenvliet West (Jalan Gajah Mada), whilst the first corridor of TransJakarta bus rapid system pass through Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk. Jakarta MRT first line will pass below Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk toward Kota Tua.

Construction of canal-road Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk began in the 1648 when a channel was dug from the river Ciliwung toward the south to meet with the portion of Ciliwung at the south. The canal was built to drain water from the surrounding swamps south of Batavia as well as providing easier means of transporting goods. Construction was led by Phoa Beng Gan, a government-appointed kapitan of the Chinese people in Batavia from 1645 to 1663. When the canal was completed, it was named Bingamvaart after Kapitan Beng Gan himself. In 1661, the canal was named Molenvliet, so called because of the existence of a number of mills (Dutch molen) near the canal. The point where the Molenvliet starts at north was the result of the extension of the Nieuwepoortstraat (now Jalan Pintu Besar Selatan). This new road, initially named Bingams gracht, became known as the Molenvliet West, the precursor of Jalan Gajah Mada. going toward south parallel with the Molenvliet was named Molenvliet West. The road Molenvliet West was largely complete c. 1650. The street extends far south until a point where Molenvliet makes a turn toward the east to feed on the southern portion of the Ciliwung.