In August, the Java Sea monsoon carried a heat wave towards the north bank of Sanbao Ridge. Over 600 years ago, Zheng He's fleet anchored here and landed, bringing porcelain and silk with them; Nowadays, on the same coastline, bulldozers, rollers, and thousands of dump trucks roar day and night. Yue Zhenhong, the project manager of Section 1B of China Road and Bridge Sanbaolong Tamu Toll Road, wears a safety helmet and quickly patrols in the dust and the sound of sirens. Before the arrival of the Indonesian rainy season in 2026, the construction site is rushing to push the earthwork 24 hours a day.

Ancient Port Continues Old Fate

Sanbao Long is a famous ancient port in Indonesia, located on the north coast of Central Java Province. The old national highway between Sanbao Long and Tamu is congested all year round. The Indonesian government is determined to build a seawall highway that integrates traffic and flood prevention: it will not only ease traffic, but also block the tidal backflow that has plagued coastal villages for a hundred years. After the project is put into operation, the peak travel time between the two places will be reduced from 60 minutes to 10 minutes, and logistics costs will significantly decrease.

Bamboo pile stabilized soft clay

The real challenge lies beneath the sea surface - there is 30 meters of silt hidden on the seabed along the route, and conventional piling is like tofu lifting a building. The construction team will use locally abundant bamboo on site, tie bamboo stakes and nail them into both sides of the shallow roadbed, and then lay bamboo reinforcement nets and reinforcing materials; After the foundation is slightly stable, install drainage boards to accelerate the outflow of water, and apply layer by layer preloading to force settlement. Renewable bamboo replaces some steel and cement, significantly reducing carbon emissions throughout the entire cycle.

This is not an isolated case. China Road and Bridge Corporation has been deeply involved in Indonesia for more than 20 years. From the Surabaya Madura Cross Sea Bridge and the Tayuan Bridge in West Kalimantan, to the Solo Kotosono Toll Road and the Bandung Jisongdau Toll Road Phase III, a number of landmark projects have gained experience in soft foundation treatment and brought out a large number of local technicians. In 2026, 26 year old Indonesian technician Rizki has been employed for one and a half years and is capable of independently completing the quality inspection process under Chinese standards; 37 year old Habibi has been working in Chinese companies for ten years, learning the dedication of Chinese colleagues into a professional habit, and looking forward to working until retirement.

Xinlu Nuan Village

The road is not just a road. Coastal villager Kumaidi remembers that in the past, when the tide rose, seawater poured in nearly 1 meter, causing houses, fish ponds, and village roads to collapse. The project department has raised the overall height of nearly 5 kilometers of rural roads in the surrounding area by about 1 meter, and added night lights to key sections to prevent seawater from entering and avoid darkness at night. From hard connectivity to heart connectivity, Chinese enterprises have used engineering and assistance to divide the exchanges during the Zheng He era and continue to work side by side on construction sites today.

The sea breeze still lingers. The ancient harbor sails are far away, and the seawall is connecting the coastline inch by inch.Editor/Yang Meiling