The Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Abdulla Muththalib, has announced that more than 60 per cent of the Thilamale’ Bridge project has now been completed.

In his statement shared via X, the Minister noted that the piling phase, regarded as the most technically demanding aspect of the construction has been fully completed. A total of 263 piles have been installed across 68 designated land-based sites. With this critical stage concluded, the overall completion rate of the bridge has reached 60.84 per cent.

The bridge is being constructed by Afcons Infrastructure, a leading Indian engineering firm, under the framework of bilateral cooperation between the Maldives and India. The total estimated cost of the project stands at USD 500 million. Of this, USD 400 million is financed through a line of credit from India’s EXIM Bank, while the remaining USD 100 million is being provided as a grant by the government of India.

The initiative was originally launched under the administration of former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, with construction formally commencing on September 16, 2021. However, during the tenure of the previous government, no structural work had extended into the marine section of the project. When the current Government assumed office, only 29 per cent of the construction had been completed. It is also noteworthy that, just one day prior to the conclusion of the former administration, the agreement for the bridge project was extended for an additional three years.

Significant progress has been achieved under the current Administration. On April 3, this year, the Government completed the installation of the tallest precast navigation span segment of the bridge. The Indian High Commission, in a statement issued on the same day, highlighted that the structure represents the tallest precast segment of its kind ever erected globally.

Officials have expressed confidence that the bridge will be completed by the end of 2026.