Maldives and the Exim Bank of India have signed the USD 400 million Line of Credit Agreement as funding for the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP).
The agreement was signed by Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer, General Manager of Exim Bank Nirmit Ved and Chief Manager Harish Kumar. Speaking at the ceremony, finance minister acknowledged GMCP is the one of the biggest infrastructure projects conducted in the Maldives. The minister noted the economic activities are being resumed slowly to revive the economy of the country, and expressed hope to recover the economy of the Maldives at the earliest.
The GMCP is a 6.7 km bridge and causeway network connecting Male’, Villimale’, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The project will be a national economic engine and lifeline connecting Hulhumale’, Hulhule’ and Male’ with the proposed Gulhifalhu Port and the Thilafushi Industrial Zone.
The scheme is composed of three navigation bridges of 140 m main span across the deep channel between each island, 1.41 km of marine viaduct in deep water, 2.32 km marine viaduct in shallow water or on land, and 2.96 km of at-grade roads. The land interchanges on Male’ and Villimale will be signalised junctions, while there will be roundabouts at Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. Moreover, bus terminals are planned on each island near the junctions with the mainline.
To use renewable energy as a sustainable measure in infrastructure, the project will use solar power for road lighting, navigation lighting, deck cell lighting, CCTV and lighting on sign gantry and architectural lighting. Solar panels will be installed on the top of the lamp posts and along discrete lengths of the bridge parapets.