Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has revealed laying asphalt on Addu roads is ongoing at a fast pace. Minister of National Planning Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam is currently in Addu City to inquire about the progress of the road construction project.
During the visit, Minister Aslam held meetings with the contractor, engineers, the ministry team, and the city council to identify why the project is stalled. The speed of the project has now been accelerated based on suggestions from the people and the council. The ministry said that after meetings and discussions, the tarring works of Hithadhoo in Addu city have now commenced.
In a tweet, Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar said the city council has received numerous public complaints over the quality of the work, highlighting that residents expect the roads are built to last for a number of years due to the large state expenditure for the project. However, the city council expects the project to be completed within the scheduled timeline.
The Addu road development project is being funded by the USD800 million line of credit provided by EXIM Bank of India. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih officially launched the fieldwork in March. The project, worth USD77 million, is overseen by India-based Afcons Infrastructure Limited.
The new roads have been designed to resolve the issue of flooding, with stormwater drainage systems being installed in Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo, and Meedhoo. The project would see the installation of 103km of stormwater drainage systems. A total of 107km of roads are set to be constructed across Addu which includes Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo, and Meedhoo. Additionally, 40km of the road would be built with tar and bricks and 67km of the road would be built by using a cement stabilised base layer.