Commuting in Indonesia's gridlocked capital will for some involve less frustration, sweat and fumes when its first subway line opens later this month.

The line is the latest in infrastructure improvements nationwide that officials hope will help this giant but laggard nation catch up with its neighbors.

The 16-kilometer system running south from Jakarta's downtown is phase one of a development that if fully realized will plant a cross-shaped network of stations on the teeming city of 30 million people. A $2.4 billion elevated rail network is also taking shape, linking Jakarta to its satellite cities, with the first stage expected to begin operating in April.

Congestion in Jakarta has relentlessly worsened in the past decade as car ownership rose, squeezing more and more vehicles into an unchanging road network.