The Second Harbor Engineering Company, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), has initiated maintenance work on the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. The agreement for this maintenance project was signed on March 20th.
Under the terms of the agreement, CCCC will undertake repair and maintenance work on the bridge over a three-year period. The Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure has confirmed that the agreement covers all practical work and bridge condition assessments.
The project, valued at USD 3.6 million, is funded by the Chinese government as part of its free aid program to the Maldives. Maintenance tasks will be performed on a monthly, six-monthly, and annual basis. The agreement also includes provisions for training local technicians in bridge maintenance.
Dr. Abdulla Muththalib, Minister of Construction and Infrastructure, noted that while maintenance work was carried out during the first two years after the bridge opened in 2018, it has been neglected for the past three years. The Minister stressed the importance of training local workers, particularly in light of the ongoing construction of another bridge in the greater Malé region.
The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge was built with Chinese government funding and cost approximately USD 300 million to complete.
