India Backed Thilamale Bridge Hits Major Milestone With Final Male Villingili Segment

The Thilamale Bridge project in the Maldives reached a major milestone with the final bridge segment connecting the capital Male with Villingili officially installed, completing the main superstructure of the section.

The development is part of the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), a 6.74-km bridge and causeway network designed to connect Male with Villingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The project is expected to significantly improve transportation and connectivity across the Greater Male region.

The final segment was installed on August 22 by Indian infrastructure major Afcons Infrastructure, which is executing the project. With the structural connection now completed between Male and Villingili, work will move into the finishing stage, including asphalt laying, safety railings, streetlights and other related works. The bridge will be opened for public traffic only after these works are completed.

More than 75 per cent of the overall project has been completed, while progress on the Male Villingili section has crossed 80 per cent, according to local reports. Work is continuing on the remaining sections linking Villingili with Gulhifalhu and Gulhifalhu with Thilafushi.

The project is being financed with USD 100 million in grant assistance and a USD 400 million Line of Credit from India, taking the Indian financing component to USD 500 million. Afcons Infrastructure was awarded the contract in 2021 during the administration of former Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

India’s High Commission in the Maldives has highlighted the engineering significance of the project, noting that its precast bridge segments reach a height of 8.177 metres, making them among the tallest precast segments used in bridge construction.

Former Maldives foreign minister Abdullah Shahid welcomed the latest milestone, recalling that the project was launched during his tenure. He described the bridge as a symbol of the Maldives India friendship, trust and shared development, while expressing appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for their role in advancing the project.

The Thilamale Bridge is regarded as the largest infrastructure project in the Maldives and is expected to strengthen connectivity, support economic activity and improve access between the islands. The wider project will include two lanes for vehicular traffic in each direction, along with pedestrian and utility facilities.

The latest development also comes as the Maldivian government continues efforts to accelerate construction after delays in the project. President Mohamed Muizzu's administration has said it intensified efforts to push the project forward after taking office. Local reports indicate that the overall project is expected to be completed and opened in 2027.