The Housing Ministry has introduced major changes to the plan for the bridge connecting Hithadhoo with Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo in Addu City, with the new design relying on land reclamation over the reef.
Adhadhu understands that the ministry has now decided to proceed with a "Northern Route" that connects Hithadhoo, Hulhudhoo, and Meedhoo from the northern side of the atoll. This route differs from the one previously made public.
Among the changes to the route is the landing point in Hulhumeedhoo. While the bridge was originally planned to connect at Ismehela Hera, the revised plan shows the bridge connecting near "Turtle Point."
Under the new route, several sections will be connected via a causeway built on reclaimed land across the reef. Sources indicate that bridges will only be constructed to span two deep-water channels where the reef does not exist.
The decision to build the bridge by reclaiming the reef is expected to cause severe environmental damage. The proposed route passes through areas known for shark and manta ray points.
Speaking to Adhadhu regarding the matter, Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar said that the government plans to reclaim the reef from Hithadhoo Kanduhera up to the two channels near Hulhumeedhoo. He noted that 90 percent of the causeway within the Hithadhoo lagoon is designed to sit atop the reef.
Highlighting that the government’s current approach is not something the public would support, Nizar suggested that the government might be intentionally proposing an unpopular plan as a pretext to stall the project by claiming a lack of public consent.
Furthermore, Nizar warned that destroying a large portion of the reef for the bridge would have devastating consequences, noting that the area is a popular site for divers.
The 2024 state budget included MVR 30 million for the design phase of the project. The work was also featured in the government’s "Haftha-14" roadmap, intended to commence within the first 100 days of the administration.
On February 19, 2024, ahead of the parliamentary elections, a major ceremony was held in Addu where the survey work was awarded to Egypt’s Arab Contractors Group.
On the day the agreement was signed with Arab Contractors, President Mohamed Muizzu claimed that the MoU would be converted into a contract and physical work would begin in 2024. At the time, he estimated the project would be completed within three and a half years. The outcome of that survey remains unknown.
Following a period of silence on the project, Muizzu announced in his Presidential Address to Parliament on February 6, 2025, that a new tender would be opened to find a party for the survey work. On October 26, 2025, China’s TYLin was awarded the project for USD 3 million.
The following November, during a meeting with the residents of Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo, Muizzu provided a new timeline. He stated that the goal is to begin physical work on the 15-kilometer Addu Bridge in 2026. However, it is unlikely that physical work will commence within this year.
The pledge to connect the linked islands of Addu with Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo was first made by former President Abdulla Yameen during the 2018 presidential campaign. During the 2023 campaign, Muizzu vowed to realize the bridge project in line with Yameen’s vision.
