President inspects delayed India-funded bridge construction

President Mohamed Muizzu and his cabinet visited the project sites of India's Afcons on Wednesday to see why the Greater Male Connectivity Bridge or Thilamale Bridge, the biggest project of the previous government, had been delayed.

According to the agreement of the Thilamale Bridge project, 77% of the project should have been completed so far but only 27% of the work has been completed, the President's Office said early this week.

President Muizzu, accompanied by several cabinet ministers and other senior government officials, visited the project site Wednesday evening to inspect the progress of the Thilamale Bridge.

President Muizzu and the government team first visited the Afcons project site in the industrial area of Male. It is the starting point of the Thilamale Bridge.

He visited the bridge and climbed the section to see how the work is going.

In addition to the Male site, President Muizzu also went to take a look at the pillars of the bridge. He also visited the project site on Gulhifalhu.

Since neither President Muizzu nor any government officials spoke to the media on Wednesday, details of the findings of the government team on the bridge project are not available yet.

At a press conference at the President’s Office last Sunday, Mohammad Firzul, Under Secretary for Public Policy, said that according to the schedule, 77% of the bridge work should have been completed by now.

The government's first 100 days or 'Week 14' agenda also includes identifying the reasons for the delay in the bridge project.

The project will be rescheduled after the reasons are identified, he said.

The biggest project of the previous government was the Greater Male Connectivity Bridge:

Bridge work schedule:

Key statistics of the bridge: