Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has prohibited the use of Male'-Villimale' channel due to the ongoing works of the Greater Male’ Connectivity Project (GMCP).
In an announcement, the transport ministry said the construction of the bridge above the channel of Male' and Vilimale' will start as part of the project and it is advised against travelling from the area as it will be unsafe. The ministry said the area between Male' and Hulhumale' bridge has now been opened to the vessels arriving from southern atolls.
The GMCP is the single-largest infrastructure project in the Maldives and is expected to become a national economic engine, and a lifeline connecting Male' to Villimale', Gulhifalhu, and the Thilafushi Industrial Zone. The project is funded through a USD400 million line of credit from Exim Bank of India and by a USD100 million grant from the Government of India. The project includes a bridge and linking roads.