Stretching across the vastness of the blue sea, Maldives opened its first ever over-sea bridge connecting the Capital city of Maldives, Male’ to the neighboring island of Hulhumale’.
Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Mohamed Muizzu stated that bridge would be officially opened for transport starting from 7th September 2018.
The construction of the bridge which commenced at the end of 2015 is a project initiated to represent the friendship between the Maldives and China.
Extending to a kilometer of 2, including road section completed under bridge, and a width of 20.3 meters, the bridge was officially opened to the public on 30th August 2018.
The bridge has seven primary piers. Each pier is made up of 35 pipes each having a diameter of 10 feet.
Concrete pile foundations are stretched up to the main sea, with a depth between 70 to 230 feet under the seabed. Moreover, the piers are inter-connected with the support of a ‘superstructure’ that was brought in from China.
The bridge comprises of four lanes; two lanes of 3.2 meters connecting Male’ to Hulhumale’ and two lanes of 3.5 meters connecting Hulhumale’ to Male’. One lane from each side would be allocated for motorcycles and public transport. Moreover, two bicycle lanes have been established on either side of these four lanes.
The total price of the project amounts to US$ 200 million. Out of this, US$ 116 million were financed as grant aid and US$ 72 million as concessionary loan by the Chinese government. The remaining US$ 12 million were financed by the Maldivian government.
This project was contracted by China’s Second Harbor Engineering Company affiliated to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and is an iconic project of the Maldives and China in co-building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
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