Addu City Council opens Hankede Bridge in Maldives

Monday, February 3, 2025 

On Saturday, the Addu City Council opened Hankede Bridge in the Maldives to the public at midnight. The bridge was opened amid delays after construction was finished. The bridge is 1.4 km long and connects Maradhoo and Gaukedi.

The Hankede Bridge was officially inaugurated on August 11, 2024, during a ceremony attended by India's Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, as part of his visit to Addu City.

The government initially announced the bridge's opening in July, but it was later postponed to September. Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar urged the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure in a Facebook post to take responsibility and open the bridge. On February 1, it was officially opened.

The construction contract was awarded to Afcons Infrastructure in October 2021, funded through a line of credit from the Exim Bank of India, and finished sometime in mid-2024.

The construction of the bridge faced controversy. The Ministry of Infrastructure seized sand intended for the project, which Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar criticized as "uncivilized" and "illegal," according to Mendhuru TV.

Sources

• "Hankede Bridge opens to public amid delays and concerns" — Avas, February 1, 2025
• Mariyath Mohamed. "Addu Hankede Bridge now open to the public" — The Edition, February 1, 2025
• Masha Midhath. "Hankede Bridge completed; No reason for delay in opening: Addu City Mayor" — Ras, January 27, 2025
• Mariyam Milzam Masood. "Addu City Mayor Criticizes Infrastructure Ministry's Seizure of Sand for Hankede Bridge Project" — Mendhuru, November 30, 2024
• Malika Shahid. "Addu land reclamation, Hankede Bridge complete, handed over" — The Edition, August 11, 2024
• "Hankede Bridge opening postponed to September" — Avas, August 4, 2024
• Aishath Shuba Solih. "Preparations underway to open Hankede bridge for public use in July" — The Edition, June 26, 2024