Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr Abdulla Muththalib announced that the final segment of the bridge linking Villimalé and Gulhifalhu was placed yesterday, officially connecting the two islands under the Thilamalé Bridge initiative.
Describing the development as a significant milestone in a post on X, the Minister emphasised that physical connectivity between the islands brings the country closer to a more integrated transportation network.
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Dr Muththalib extended congratulations to the project’s contractor AFCONS Infrastructure, technical consultant Arup, and the Ministry of Infrastructure team for executing the installation. He also expressed sincere gratitude to the Government of India for its financial and technical backing, alongside the dedicated workforce that made the connection possible.
The Malé–Vilimalé link is part of the wider 6.7-kilometre Thilamalé Bridge project, an infrastructure network of bridges, causeways, and coastal roads connecting Malé, Vilimalé, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi.
The bridge previously connected Malé and Vilimalé on August 22, before workers completed the final link between Vilimalé and Gulhifalhu roughly two months later.
The contract for the Thilamalé Bridge was signed between the previous Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration and India’s AFCONS Infrastructure on September 16, 2021, with physical construction beginning that same day. The project was originally slated for completion by May 17, 2024. However, the timeline faced revisions, with a subsequent agreement targeting completion by September 30, 2026, before the full network’s opening to public transport was rescheduled for December 21, 2027.
Valued at an estimated USD 500 million (over MVR 7 billion), the project is funded by a USD 100 million grant and a USD 400 million line of credit from the Indian government, alongside financial commitments from the Maldives government.
Another significant milestone as the final segment of the bridge between Villimalé and Gulhifalhu was erected today, joining the two islands and bringing us closer to a more connected future. Congratulations to AFCONS, Arup and the MIHUD team on this achievement. My sincere thanks to the Government of India for its invaluable support, and to everyone whose hard work and dedication made this milestone possible. 🇲🇻🇮🇳 @HCIMaldives @AFCONSOfficial @MIHUDmv— Abdulla Muththalib (@muththo) October 30, 2026
