The Housing and Construction Ministry has cancelled the contract of independent consultant Arup in the Greater Male' Connectivity Bridge (Thilamale' Bridge) project.
Hong Kong's Arup was ensuring that the works being carried out by Afcons Infrastructure Limited of India met the government's standards.
The ministry could not be reached for comment. But Arup has given termination notice to its project team of about 50 employees.
A person who saw the notice told Adhadhu on condition of anonymity that it stated that the government had cancelled the contract. Others have also confirmed the contract cancellation.
The reason for the cancellation of the consultancy agreement was unclear. When contacted, the Infrastructure Ministry's media officer said the questions had been sent to the ministry's technical team.
Arup is a highly experienced company and the technical report of the project was also prepared by the company.
The project was first planned to be completed by May 2024, but the timeline was altered and deadlines were pushed back.
The bridge is now scheduled to be completed between Male' and Villimale' by March 31, 2026. The bridge will be connected from Gulhifalhu to Thilafushi by September 30, 2026.
