The most challenging phase of the Thilamalé Bridge project has been completed, with all 263 piles now installed, Construction Minister Abdulla Muthalib announced Monday.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Muthalib said the piles were installed at 68 locations on both land and sea, marking a major milestone in the ongoing project. With the piling stage completed, 60.84% of the bridge construction is now finished, he added.
The 6.7-kilometre bridge is being built by India’s Fcons under a $500 million project funded through India. The funding includes $400 million under a line of credit from the Exim Bank of India and $100 million in grant aid from the Indian government.
The bridge made headlines in April this year after the installation of what the Indian High Commission described as the tallest precast segments ever constructed anywhere in the world for a bridge superstructure.
The Thilamalé Bridge, once completed, is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Malé, the capital, and the neighbouring islands of Villimalé, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.