Work on 24 pillars of Male-Villimale bridge link begins
The platform will be used to install pillars in shallow areas and a larger platform for deep pillars will be brought soon, it said.
By
Ahmed Sadhoof Moosa
As part of the Thilamale Bridge Project, a platform has been brought to the Maldives to install pillars in the seafloor between Male and Villimale, and the work has begun on Friday.
The platform, called 'Maharaja', brought by India's Afcons, was launched on Friday. Using the platform, a total of 24 pillars will be erected in the shallow areas between Male and Villimale.
According to the bridge project office:
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The floating platform has 650 tons
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Capacity of up to 350 tonnes
The platform will be used to install pillars in shallow areas and a larger platform for deep pillars will be brought soon, it said.
Afcons has previously used a similar platform called 'Maharani' A large platform called 'Rumeila' was also used.
Work on the sea pillars between Male and Villimale has started while work on the permanent pillars is still underway.
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Four pillars have been completed
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Work on the section of the road leading up to the bridge from the city end
The work of the Male-Villimale section was scheduled to be completed by this month, but the work has been delayed. It is now estimated that the section will be completed early next year.
Key statistics of the bridge:
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USD 500 million (MVR 6.2 billion) project
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USD 100 million (MVR 1.55 billion) is India's free aid
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The rest will be financed by a credit line from Exim Bank of India
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The project was awarded to Afcons on 26 August 2021
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88 engineers are currently active
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There will be 164 engineers by the end of this year
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Experts from Turkey, Germany and Australia are also involved in the bridge construction
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By the end of this year, the bridge will have 1,227 employees working
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The length of the entire bridge: 3.6 km
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220,000 cubic meters of land will be dredged
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3 km road and jetty connecting the bridge will be made
