Traffic will only increase in Ameenee Magu with the way the road is being rebuilt, Male' City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said.
The mayor on Tuesday posted a picture of the current Ameenee Magu along with a photo showing the proposed design of the road and the ongoing work.
Muizzu said the current width of the section reserved for vehicles on Ameenee Magu is 25 feet. However, the width will reduce to 21 feet 10 inches when the road is completed, he said.
Noting that the existing pavement on both sides of Ameenee Magu is four feet wide, Muizzu said the new pavement would have five feet seven inches on each side.
"I believe the road congestion will only worsen. We can see that the cable tray, which was previously planned to be buried underground, is being built above ground again," Muizzu tweeted.
The government awarded the Ameenee Magu reconstruction contract to the Road Development Corporation (RDC) on July 3 for MVR 84 million. RDC was given seven months to complete the work. The practical work of the project was inaugurated on August 30. Asphalt will be laid along 1.7 km of the road, and a modern drainage system will be installed under the project. While streetlights will also be reinstalled, bus stops, signboards, and bumpers will also be constructed.
The construction of Ameenee Magu was awarded to RDC as a separate project while an agreement already existed between the government and the Male' City Council to construct 16 roads, including Ameenee Magu. There were differences of opinion between the City Council, the RDC, and the Planning Ministry on the matter. However, the government later said it would resolve the differences and proceed with the project as per the agreement with the city council. Muizzu has also said that he will cooperate with the government to build the road.
