Afcons still learning; must expedite to meet new deadlines: Muththalib
He said it was “unrealistic” to say such a the project would be completed within 27 months as was first declared.
By
Ahmed Mizyal
Construction and Infrastructure Minister Dr Abdulla Muththalib has said that India's Afcons, which is building the Greater Male Connectivity Bridge or Thilamale Bridge, is yet to come out of the learning curve and if the work is not expedited, the bridge will not be completed as per the revised schedule.
The previous government has extended the deadline via an amendment to the agreement for the largest infrastructure development project ever to be done in Maldives under loan and grant assistance of India.
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The original agreement had a deadline of 17 May 2024 to complete the section up to Thilafushi
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However, the deadline has been extended to September 30, 2026 on the last day of the previous government
In an exclusive interview, Muththalib told Atoll Times on Monday that one of the main reasons why the Thilamale Bridge had slipped away from the schedule was the lack of experience of the contractor.
"I have never said that Afcons has no experience in executing civil projects. There are roads and bridges they constructed on land and other such major projects have been carried out," Muththalib said.
"However, the lack of experience in running a project in such an aggressive environment is the biggest difference here."
According to the minister, Afcons had a different understanding of the burden of the project and the difficulties of working in such an environment. He also cited the lack of machinery and other materials for the project as the reasons for the delay.
"They still haven't been able to get out of the learning curve altogether. They still have to accelerate the work. Once accelerated, we will be able to make a call on the current deadline," the minister said.
Original schedule was unrealistic
The initial agreement was to complete the Thilamale Bridge within 27 months. Muththalib said he wondered how the project would be completed within that period. He said it was “unrealistic” to say such a the project would be completed within that time frame.
“The consultant had advised that the project would be completed within 42 to 48 months as the project consists of three bridges and a road linking it all,” he said.
"However, the government had certain targets and pushed it to 27 months”.
According to the initial agreement:
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The section from Male to Gulhi lagoon was to be completed in two years and three months; that would have been December 14, 2023
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The entire bridge was to be completed in two years and seven months; that would be May 17, 2024
Dates given in the amended agreement:
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Connecting Male and Villimale by December 2025; The minister said this was not the date in the agreement but it had been agreed verbally
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Connection from Villimale to Gulhifalhu by 30 June 2025
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The rest of the bridge by September 2026
Some of the things that could be done to accelerate the Thilamale Bridge project:
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Expedite piling work
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Acceleration of casting works of Male-Villimale section
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Acquire land quickly by negotiating with the Gulhifalhu dredging contractor; If that happens, the work on the roads in Gulhifalhu can start
"It's been almost 60 months now. Looking at the lost time and delays, I think it's a realistic date given now," Muththalib said.
"However, they still need to speed up the work. If they do, [the] target may be reached."
Key statistics of the bridge:
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Total Price: USD 500 million (MVR 6.2 billion)
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USD 100 million (MVR 1.55 billion) is India's grant aid
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Experts from Turkey, Germany and Australia are also involved in the bridge work that is being funded by India’s ExIm Bank
