From Isolation to Connectivity
Those who try to travel from the Northeast Madagascar’s port city of Tamatave to the hinterland may find the roads accessible for the first 160 kilometers, but further on, they will find the roads disappear during the rainy season from December to July.
During this period, dozens of towns become isolated, supplies cannot be delivered and no ambulance could come for the patients.
In November 2021, Power Construction Corporation of China (Power China) set up a construction camp in this region, and four years later, the company has built a 55-km high-quality road with eight bridges.
Four Years against Bad Weather
In March 2025, a rainstorm destroyed the roadbed of the No 4 Bailey Bridge, but the construction team swiftly completed the measurements and reinforced the parapet. Only three months later, No 4 Bailey Bridge was put up and became a demonstration project.
The cofferdam of the No 7 Bailey Bridge was destroyed multiple times by gushing water, as the bridge was located at an estuary. The construction team intensified efforts to build the cofferdam during the low-tide period, finally finishing the construction.
In September 2025, the construction team constructed a 27-km access road in just two months, securing enough time for pile foundation construction of the No 9 Bailey Bridge, another estuary bridge.
Paving the road with asphalt was another challenging task. The construction team monitored the temperature, thickness and compaction degree of asphalt in real time, ultimately delivering a surface layer up to standard and generating crucial data for subsequent construction stages.
Despite challenging weather conditions and construction tasks, the team eventually managed to build a 55-km high-quality road. They fulfilled their promises and met the expectations of local residents.
How Road Changes People’s Lives
The 55-km road fully changed the lives of residents living along the line.
The travel that took one week in the past can now be completed in two hours, making it possible for agricultural products to reach the market fresh and for children to arrive at school on time.
“In the past, I had to spend three nights on the road before I could sell herbs in the town,” said a peddler. “Now I can make a round trip in a single day and the herb price has increased by 20 percent.”
The road construction provided more than 2,000 jobs for local residents, addressing unemployment and cultivating a large number of technicians for local communities. Some villagers spent their income on building new houses, and the thatched cottages along the road are being replaced by neat brick-and-tile houses.
The construction team assisted local communities in various ways, promoting road safety by teaching locals to identify and understand traffic signs, promoting health knowledge in collaboration with health institutes and donating school supplies.
The completion of the road will surely be a testament to China-Madagascar friendly and win-win cooperation.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
