The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has begun the construction of a bridge to connect Madaveli and Hoadehdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.
Madaveli and Hoadedhdhoo are connected by a lagoon and have a population of 3,000. The islands are heavily involved in various crucial economic sectors and have huge potential for growth. A causeway was built to connect to the two islands but the government decided to replace it with a bridge after the causeway caused environmental problems for both islands. The causeway was built across the lagoon without a proper system to circulate water, causing damage to the islands.
Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure awarded the bridge construction project to MTCC in October 2021 at a price of USD5.45 million. The state-owned company is tasked with removing the current causeway built to connect the two islands and constructing a 223m bridge to connect Madaveli to the uninhabited island of Haadhoo and another 160m bridge to connect Haadhoo to Hoadedhoo. The project also involves developing 262m of roads and constructing a 260m revetment as protection. The project will connect Madaveli and Hoadehdhoo as well as the two uninhabited islands Kannigila and Haadhoo in the same lagoon.
MTCC began fieldwork in September 2022 by clearing the road leading to the project sites in Madaveli, Hoadedhdhoo, and the two uninhabited islands. The company began erecting the bridge pillars last week.