The 6.7 km bridge will carry a dual two lane highway. Besides this, a three meter wide lane on the north side of the bridge will be dedicated solely to pedestrians and cyclists.
Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib and Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Munu Mahawar made a joint site visit to the Thilamale’ Bridge on Monday, visiting work sites in both ViliMale' and Gulhi Falhu.
Minister Muththalib addressed the accompanying media personnel at the site where the roundabout for the ViliMale' exit will ultimately be located.
“If work proceeds at the speed it is now, we believe we can further speed up the work, and there is a high chance of concluding the work early,” he said.
High Commissioner Mahawar defined the Greater Male’ Connectivity Project as the flagship project within the India-Maldives development partnership.
He shared that the decision for the site visit had been made at a recently concluded Joint Project Monitoring Committee meeting, chaired by himself and the Minister.
“I am confident that with our joint efforts we will complete this project as per the agreed schedule and I am sure this will bring lots of tangible benefits to the people of Maldives,” he said, adding that the bridge, once complete, would open up opportunities for economic growth, as well as improving ease of life in the Greater Male’ region.
Minister Muththalib explained in detail to The Edition how the bridge will be upon completion.
The 6.7 km bridge will carry a dual two lane highway. Besides this, a three meter wide lane on the north side of the bridge will be dedicated solely to pedestrians and cyclists.
The south side of the bridge will accommodate a 3.5 meter wide utility corridor for data lines, water supplies and high voltage electricity lines.
About 3.5km of the MTL will be on marine viaduct, while the rest will be on reclaimed land on Gulhi Falhu and Thilafushi.
The viaducts and connecting ramps on Villin’gili comprise of precast, pre-stressed concrete segmental box girders supported on large diameter bored concrete piles found in the coral sandstone.
According to the Ministry, 38.88 percent of the bridge has reached completion by mid-May.
While 66 percent of the piling work has been completed, 46 percent of the work on pile caps and 48 percent of casting pier columns have been completed.
A third, thirty one percent, of the precast deck segments have been cast, with 20 of these segments already erected in Vilimale’.
The Male’ – VilliMale’ section of the bridge is scheduled for completion by 31st December 2025.
Segment A: Male’ to Gulhifalhu is scheduled for completion by 31st March 2026.
Segment B: Gulhifalhu to Thilafushi is targeted to be completed by 30th September 2026.
Multiple people working on the project commented to The Edition on the site visit that work is proceeding more rapidly in recent months, with the Minister and State Minister Ibrahim Thoaam Mohamed both possessing personal experience and expertise in the field.
The Edition asked Minister Muththalib what he credited the efficiency in the work to.
“Being proactive and quick in addressing issues, prompt decision making and ensuring the right and adequate resources are mobilised to site have helped speed up the work,” he responded.
“We work very closely with the contractor and the consultant to ensure that we identify and effectively mitigate any potential risks that may affect work progress. I believe these measures have helped us stay on track and make significant progress in a short period of time.”
Construction of a bridge in a place like Maldives with its unique geographical set up comes with its own challenges. The Edition enquired of the Minister the challenges faced and steps taken to overcome them.
“The bridge is being constructed at a location with extremely challenging environmental conditions. The strong currents and swell waves at the location makes it hazardous and near impossible to continue with the marine construction works during rough weather days,” he explained.
“The contractor has mobilized additional equipment including self-elevating platforms and additional marine equipment, to minimize downtime during adverse weather conditions. With this additional equipment, the contractor will be able to increase productivity during normal weather conditions, allowing them to compensate for any delays caused by adverse weather conditions.”
Both the Minister and the High Commissioner remain confident that the project will reach completion by the scheduled date.
“The government places special emphasis on sustainable infrastructure development that improves people's lives through population consolidation and economic development,” the Minister asserted.
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