President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has announced that the bridge to link Male’, Villimale’ and Gulhifalhu will begin within the next six months.

In his Presidential Address, President Solih had given updates on two of the government's biggest projects.

As such, he noted that last year work finished on the first phase of the land reclamation projects necessary to accomplish the goal of changing the country’s main commercial port from Male’ to Gulhifalhu. In addition to further land reclamation work, the government is now preparing to begin physical construction of the new commercial port this year,

He further added that physical construction of the bridge linking Male’, Villimale’ and Gulhifalhu will begin within the next six months.

The Greater Male’ Connectivity Project is based on a 6.7 kilometer bridge and causeway connecting Male’ City, Vilimale’, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. It is going to connect the ports of Male’, Hulhumale’, and Hulhule’ to that of Gulhifalhu and the Thilafushi Industrial zone. It is described as the engine of the national economy.

National Planning & Housing Minister, Mohamed Aslam had previously said that the construction contract for the bridge would be signed within the next month, with the condition to finish construction within two years. According to the Minister, if everything goes per schedule, the bridge would be operation by mid-2023.

A total of USD 500 million is set to given by the Indian government for the project that totals to MVR 7.7 billion. That consists of USD 100 million in free aid and a loan component of USD 400 million that needs to be repaid in 20 years with an interest rate of 1.75 after a grace period of five years.