Recently, the follow-up maintenance and technical assistance project for the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge officially commenced. This project is being implemented by China Communications Second Navigation Bureau with a duration of 36 months. The main tasks include initial repairs and preventive maintenance of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, establishment of comprehensive maintenance records, conducting bridge inspections and assessments, carrying out routine maintenance of the bridge, and providing training for maintenance personnel from the Maldives side.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the project. Photo provided by CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Bureau.
On March 20th this year, China and Maldives signed an agreement to implement the follow-up maintenance and technical assistance project for the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. Officials from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Maldives Ministry of Infrastructure, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the signing ceremony.
According to the agreement signed by both sides, CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Bureau will be responsible for implementing the follow-up maintenance and technical assistance project for the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. This project will yield a series of intellectual achievements, including a bridge management system serving bridge inspection, assessment, and maintenance; training a certain number of bridge maintenance technicians for the Maldivian side; and completing inspection result reports for initial inspection, routine patrols, periodic inspections, special inspections, regular monitoring, and regular measurements within the 3-year assistance period.
The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, jointly agreed upon and constructed by China, connects the Maldivian capital Malé, Hulhulé Island (where the airport is located), and Hulhumalé Island. It commenced construction in March 2016 and was opened to traffic on August 30, 2018. The CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Bureau team overcame three major global challenges—complex coral reef geology, long-period waves in deep water, and high temperatures, salinity, and corrosion—along with a series of difficulties such as limited materials, restricted airspace, and harsh environments, to realize the "bridge dream" of the Maldivian people within a construction period of 33 months.
This project is a landmark undertaking in the China-Maldives cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past five years since its opening, it has effectively improved the transportation environment for residents on both sides of the bridge, facilitating economic development in the Malé region. The project has been awarded the Luban Prize for Construction Projects by China (Overseas Projects).
