The project to connect the capital Male’ via a bridge to Villimale’, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi is 33.4 percent complete, the Construction and Infrastructure Ministry said yesterday.
As the project awarded to neighboring India’s Afcons by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s government proceeded at a slow pace, the current government said efforts would be made to speed up the work.
According to captions in a video posted on X to provide the latest information on the project, the Construction Ministry said 54.5 percent of the piling work and 33.4 percent of the total project has been completed.
“The speed of work is now 1.2 percent ahead of schedule,” the Construction Ministry stated in the video.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said previously that he would ask India to speed up the schedule of the 6.7km bridge, which would connect four islands in the Male’ region.
Financed with a loan from India’s Exim Bank, the project was awarded to Afcons with two phases to be completed by May 2024. However, after the project was delayed due to various reasons, the schedule was changed for the bridge to be completed up to Villimale by 2025 and up to Thilafushi by 2026.
