Pres: Thilamale’ bridge project works virtually commenced from scratch

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, on Friday stated that physical construction of the Thilamalé Bridge, which will connect Malé, Villingili, Thilafushi, and Gulhifalhu, had to be virtually commenced from scratch after his administration assumed office.

The project, which was awarded to India’s Afcons Infrastructure during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, experienced significant delays and missed several completion deadlines. Since taking office, the current administration has intensified efforts to accelerate the project’s progress.

Responding to a question about the bridge’s completion on his "The Pulse" podcast, President Muizzu stressed the importance of considering the project’s history. He noted that while the project was initiated under the previous administration, a review of past news reports clearly illustrates the discrepancy between the announced commencement and completion timelines.

The President said that when his administration assumed responsibility for the project, it could be argued that almost no tangible progress had been made, particularly on the Malé-Villingili section.

"There was very little work; even the pillars had not been installed. In that sense, it can be said we started the project virtually from scratch: the physical work," he said.

President Muizzu emphasized that since taking office, his administration has made the project a priority, with the aim of completing it as soon as possible. He also acknowledged the substantial support provided by the Indian government in advancing the project.

"Through the close relationship between the two governments, the project is now progressing very rapidly. The connection between Malé and Villingili is nearly complete, and a substantial area of the connection from Villingili to Gulhifalhu has also been finished," the President noted.

While expressing optimism that the bridge could be completed soon if the current pace of work is maintained, the President did not provide a specific completion date.

Afcons Infrastructure was awarded the Thilamalé Bridge project in August 2021, with the project financed through a USD 400 million loan from India’s EXIM Bank. Physical construction was officially inaugurated on August 2, 2022, by former President Solih and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Solih’s visit to India.

During his presidential campaign, President Muizzu pledged to assess the status of the bridge within his first 100 days in office. Following his inauguration, he visited the project site during his first week in office to inspect its progress.

At the time, the President’s Office reported that he inspected ongoing work in Malé, offshore construction between Malé and Villingili, as well as pre-casting and other operations in Gulhifalhu. During the visit, work on seabed pillars and several visible pillars near Villingili was observed to be underway.

At the first press briefing conducted by the current administration, the then-Under Secretary for Public Policy, Mohamed Firuzul Abdul Khaleel, stated that information obtained during the transitional period indicated that only 27 percent of the project had been completed, despite the project being expected to have reached 77 percent completion by that stage.

The previous administration had set the final completion deadline for the bridge at mid-2024, while the Malé-Villingili connection was expected to be completed by 2023. However, neither target was achieved. Last month, the current administration announced that 75 percent of the Thilamalé Bridge project had been completed.