The Ministry of Infrastructure has officially awarded a contract to Chinese contractor Rotime Engineering and Technology Co. Ltd. to majorly upgrade and expand the vital link road connecting the connected islands of Addu City.
The agreement was signed by Infrastructure Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib and Rotime Engineering Managing Director Zhou Weidong. Under the terms of the project, 12.3 kilometers of the existing road infrastructure spanning Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Feydhoo, and Gan will undergo complete redevelopment. Additionally, the section stretching from the Detour Bridge to the Hithadhoo Stadium will be widened from two lanes to four.
Rotime Engineering is already active in Maldivian infrastructure development, having secured the road construction contract for Hulhumalé in December last year.
A Critical Route in Disrepair
The Addu Link Road serves as the primary arterial thoroughfare for daily transit and commercial transport across the atoll. However, severe degradation over recent years characterized by deep potholes and surface erosion has repeatedly hindered commercial freight, caused traffic accidents, and impacted the local economy.
Previous repair attempts have failed to offer a permanent solution. Following torrential rains earlier this month, severe flooding worsened road conditions so dramatically that the Addu City Council issued an advisory urging residents to avoid traveling on the link road unless absolutely necessary.
