China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has commenced maintenance and repair work on the Sinamale' Bridge
The Sinamale' Bridge was constructed by CCCC, and the maintenance and repair of the bridge have also been contracted to the same company. A special ceremony was held on Saturday at the Male' end of the bridge to officially launch the work.
The Infrastructure Ministry said the Chinese company will undertake maintenance and repair work as well as train locals to handle future maintenance independently.
The bridge was opened to the public on September 7, 2018, under President Abdulla Yameen's administration, during the final days of the 2018 presidential election campaign
Infrastructure Minister Dr. Abdullah Muththalib had earlier said that when former President Yameen's government ended in 2018, China had agreed to provide free repair work for another two years until the end of 2020. However, no repair work had been done on the bridge since the expiry of the said agreement, he said, leaving the bridge uncared for from the end of 2020 until now.
The minister said China had offered to repair the Cinema Bridge free of charge even to the last government, and the last government had not responded to the offer. However, the current government has successfully negotiated a new agreement with China, securing free maintenance and repair services for an additional three years.
