The government does not know the cost and date to begin work on the bridge connecting Addu city's Hithadhoo and Hulhumeedhoo.
The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure said this in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request from Adhadhu.
"The date to begin the practical work and the cost of the project will be determined at a later stage," the ministry said.
The ministry said they were currently seeking a consultant to design the bridge.
The government gazetted on March 2, seeking a firm to provide consultancy for the works related to survey, design and tender documents and technical specification. The announcement was cancelled and reposted by the finance ministry on March 18.
The deadline for the second announcement ended on April 13. However, the government has not announced whether a firm was selected.
But in its response to Adhadhu a month after the deadline, the construction ministry said the process to select a design consultant had not yet been completed.
The Addu bridge is a presidential pledge made by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. He has repeatedly said that the project will start before the end of 2025. He reiterated this during the visits to Addu during the campaign for the parliamentary election.
Egypt's Arab Contractors Group was awarded the contract on February 19, 2024, for the project survey. Last year, MVR 30 million was budgeted for the survey and some work was done.
In March 2024, the construction ministry said the Arab Contractors Group completed the survey for the initial design of the bridge. However, the government has not provided any updates since then.
Following pressure from journalists and public criticism, construction minister Abdulla Muththalib said financing has not yet been secured for the project.
