Thilamalé Bridge Now Links Villimalé and Gulhifalhu
The India-financed crossing now runs from Malé through Villimalé to Gulhifalhu, ten weeks after the span between the capital and Villimalé was joined in August.
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The final segment of the Thilamalé Bridge between Villimalé and Gulhifalhu was put in place on Thursday, 30 October, joining the two islands. It completes the second of the bridge's island-to-island crossings, after the span between Malé and Villimalé was joined in August.
Dr Abdulla Muththalib, the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, announced the milestone on X on Thursday night, calling it "another significant milestone". He congratulated the contractor, Afcons Infrastructure, the engineering consultant, Arup, and the ministry's team, and thanked the Government of India for its support. The ministry shared his post, which included four aerial photographs of the works.
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On 22 August the ministry said the last segment between Malé and Villimalé had been launched, connecting the capital to Villimalé.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu walked across that section on 30 August, National Engineers' Day. In remarks published by the President's Office, he said that if the current momentum was maintained, the entire project would be completed within a year. Indian High Commissioner G. Balasubramanian, who joined the walk, described it as one of India's largest and most comprehensive infrastructure projects abroad.
The bridge is officially the Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP). When the construction contract was signed in 2021, the ministry described a 6.7-kilometre sea crossing that starts at the south-west corner of Malé, runs along the south shore of Villimalé (Villingili) and the southern edge of reclaimed land on Gulhifalhu, and ends on land at Thilafushi.
Afcons says the 6.74-kilometre network is made up of three navigation bridges, each with a 140-metre main span, along with deep- and shallow-water marine viaducts and roads at ground level.
In that update, dated 25 July 2025, the company reported 60% overall completion and said the piling work was finished. It had installed 264 piles at 68 locations, and one marine pile reached a depth of 120 metres. Each precast deck segment is 8.32 metres high and 25.37 metres wide, and weighs 240 tonnes.
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India is paying for the bridge with a US$100 million grant and a US$400 million line of credit, the Indian High Commission said when Afcons and the Maldivian government signed the contract on 26 August 2021. It called the bridge the largest infrastructure project in the Maldives.
The line of credit comes from the Export-Import Bank of India. Its agreement with the Maldivian government is dated 12 October 2020 and took effect on 28 January 2021, according to a Reserve Bank of India notification. Under its terms, goods, works and services worth at least 75% of the contract price must be supplied from India.
Beyond Gulhifalhu, the route continues to Thilafushi, the industrial island west of Malé.
On 28 October the High Commission said "swift progress" on key initiatives, including the Thilamalé Bridge, was emphasised when President Muizzu and Foreign Minister Dr Iruthisham Adam visited the India Pavilion at Maldives Expo 2026.
