The department also covers the public works (openbare werken) including afdeling Waterstaat, with afdelingen (afd.)

parts: public building (Lands gebouwen), road (Wegen), irrigation (Irrigatie), and sanitation (Assainering), Hydropower (Waterkracht), Constructie burreau (for bridges).

The regulations issued during the Dutch East Indies era for guidelines in carrying out tasks in the Public Works can be read in "A.W.R".

Public Works at that time (1945) was based in Bandung, taking the place of the former V. & W building (known as Gedung Sate).

As a result of the urges of the Dutch government, there was a physical conflict with the Indonesian Youth who wanted to defend their homeland and the occupied buildings, including the "Gedung Sate" which had become the Public Works Department Building at that time (this historic event is known as the "incident" of 3 December 1945, marked as an anniversary in the Ministry of Public Works).

During the National revolution from 1945 to 1949, the Indonesian Central Government in Jakarta was forced to flee to Purworejo and then to Yogyakarta, as well as the Ministry of Public Works, and later on to Bukitinggi.

Since 1945, the Public Works (PU) has often undergone changes in leadership and organization, according to the political situation at that time.

With the Decree of the Minister of PUT dated 17 June 1968 N0.3 / PRT / 1968 and amended by the Ministerial Decree of PUT dated 1 June 1970 Number 4 / PRT / 1970, the ministerial structure was amended to suit the changing methods of construction of public works projects.