Minister: Male’ road redevelopment project can be commenced mid-next year

Construction Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib states physical works on the project on redeveloping all Male’ roads can be commenced mid-next year.

The project announced by the government to redevelop all Male’ roads will be undertaken with grant assistance. In his presidential address back in February, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said physical works on the project will commence within this year.

At a press conference at the President’s Office on Monday, Minister Muthalib received a question from a reporter regarding the delays in the commencement of physical works on the project.

The Minister detailed the reasons behind the delay. In this regard, he detailed that there were certain processes set forth by the Chinese government that need to be followed when undertaking such a project such as submission of proposal by the Maldivian government, subsequent approval from the Chinese government, feasibility studies and tendering among other things.

In this trajectory, he noted that a team from China is due to arrive in the Maldives on November 4^th to conduct a feasibility study on the road development project. They will be working for a period of 20 days and sharing their subsequent findings.

He was hopeful that the physical works on the project could be commenced mid-next year.

“With that start (feasibility study), we are working to proceed at a fast pace to ensure we can commence physical works by mid-next year,” he said.

As per the Minister, the goal is to complete the project within four years.

However, he noted that work will be undertaken in a manner that does not pose difficulties to the residents of the populous Maldivian capital. Henceforth, he said he is unable to estimate how much time will actually be incurred to complete the project.

Minister Muthalib stressed that the government was not in the view of rushing the work as the project is undertaken on a grant basis.

Rainy days leave Male’ roads flooded in just a few minutes. Subsequently, efforts are already underway to install a temporary storm drainage until the roads are fixed.