President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the work on the bridge connecting Addu City's Hithadhoo with Hulhudhoo-Meedhoo will begin next year.

Speaking at a meeting with the people of Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo today, during his current visit to Fuvahmulah City and Addu City, President Muizzu said that the bridge design work has been awarded to a Chinese company through international bidding. The President said that the company will submit three designs with all technical information to the government within six months.

He said it is a USD 1 million project and that the company is among the world's leading firms in such work.

"A six-month agreement has been signed. The work has already begun, starting last month. So by March or April next year, the government will submit these documents to that party. After that, we will choose one design from those three options and make an agreement. God willing, our goal is to begin the bridge work within next year," the President said.

Therefore, the President said that matters related to the bridge are officially progressing.

The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure announced on October 26 that they had signed an agreement with China's TYLIN International Engineering Consulting Company Limited (TYLIN) to provide technical advice for the bridge project.

The agreement was signed by Minister Dr. Abdullah Muttalib on behalf of the Construction Ministry, and Chen Xiaohu, President of the China Branch of TYLIN, on behalf of the company.

The Housing Ministry said that under the agreement, the company will provide advice on conducting surveys for the project, preparing designs, technical specifications, and documents needed for tendering the construction work.

The six-month contract is valued at USD 1,025,000.

The preliminary design and survey work for the Addu Bridge was initially awarded to an Egyptian company, The Arab Contractors. The agreement for this this work was signed by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on February 19 last year, during a meeting with the people of Addu City Hulhumedhoo.

Minister Muttalib signed the agreement on behalf of the Construction Ministry, while Heba Ahmed, a board member and engineer of The Arab Contractors, signed on behalf of the company.

Building a bridge between Hulhumedhoo and Hulhudhoo is one of President Muizzu's presidential pledges. He had previously stated that several parties had expressed interest in the bridge project, and that The Arab Contractors had informed the government that they would conduct the bridge feasibility study for free.

President Muizzu had also included the work needed for the bridge project in his first 14 weeks in office.

Later, on March 10 last year, the Construction Ministry announced that the survey work for the Addu Bridge had been completed on the seventh of that month.

Subsequently, on March 3 this year, the Finance Ministry announced a tender to find a party to provide technical advice for the bridge work.