The Sinamalé Bridge was constructed as part of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge project which began construction in 2015 under the 43rd year of celebrating ties between the two countries.
The First of Its Kind
The bridge is the first inter-island bridge to have been built in the Maldives. It enables the air traffic that arrives in Hulhulé to easily access the island of the capital city. The bridge cost approximately US$ 210 million of which US$ 126 million was funded by the Chinese government. The contractor China Harbour Engineering has projects such as the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge in Malaysia.
Connecting the Islands
The bridge is 2.1 km long with 2 car lanes as well as a separate lane for motorbike and pedestrian traffic. It connects Malé with Hulhumalé via Hulhulé. The bridge was considered a superstructure because of how the foundations had to be fixed into the seabed floor. The bridge construction project was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping on his state visit in 2014.
Thanks to the bridge, any nearby Maldives resort has benefitted greatly, especially since the opposition has brought along plans to include more bridges connecting the islands making it easier to access resorts like Kurumba Maldives easily without the need to fly or take a boat to the location.
Catalina Forbes is a travel writer who bases her content on many thrilling escapades experienced across the world. Google+
