Foundation of the Bridge Project has begun

Foundation of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge has begun.

Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Dr. Mohamed Muizzue tweeted on Friday saying that the installation of the steel beams to build the foundation was started on Friday.

Responding to a question from Sun Media in relation to the bridge, the Deputy Minister of the Housing Ministry, Abdulla Muthtalib said today that it was the beginning of the foundation of the bridge.

An issue surfaced last week regarding the steel beams used in the foundation being placed on the reef of Gulhi Falhu.

The platforms of the bridge and the temporary bridge need for the main project is moving forward in a fast pace.

The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is 1.39 kilometers long and 20 meters wide. The Housing Ministry said that the bridge would have two lanes for four-wheel vehicles, two lanes for motorcycles along with one lane for bicycles and one for foot traffic.

While a total of USD 200 million is being spent to build the bridge between Malé and Hulhulé, USD 100 million of that is being provided by China as free aid. As the construction of the bridge is now underway, China’s CCC Company has been contracted to be completed in 30 months. And so the government is expecting the bridge to be completed in 2018.