Work has begun on the third phase of the Boduthakurufaanu Magu redevelopment project, with efforts now focused on widening and upgrading the stretch of road near West Park towards Malé Commercial Harbour.
Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), which is carrying out the project, said work has started on stormwater drainage wells in the West Park area. The drainage infrastructure will form part of a new underground network being installed before the road itself is reconstructed and paved with asphalt.
The area is among the sections of Malé most vulnerable to flooding during periods of heavy rain, frequently causing difficulties for motorists, pedestrians and people travelling through the western side of the capital.
Once the underground works are completed, the road will be widened and developed to modern standards as part of the government’s wider effort to improve Boduthakurufaanu Magu.
MTCC said the redevelopment is expected to make travel more convenient while improving connections between different parts of Malé. The company also expects the upgraded road network to help ease congestion and strengthen transport links across the capital.
One lane in the West Park area has been temporarily closed as work gets underway. The other lane remains open for public traffic.
The latest work follows the completion of the first two phases of the Boduthakurufaanu Magu redevelopment, both of which have since been opened to the public.
The first phase covered the section between the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and Malé North Harbour. The project involved reclaiming part of the lagoon to widen the road before the new section was paved with asphalt.
The second phase focused on the eastern side of the capital, extending from the Nasandhura area in Henveiru to Izzudheen Jetty. Part of the lagoon was similarly reclaimed to create additional space before the road was modernised.
With those sections completed, work is now moving towards the western end of Boduthakurufaanu Magu, including the area surrounding Malé Commercial Harbour.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu recently said on the President’s Office podcast The Pulse that work on the section near Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) would begin before the end of this month.
That stretch is among the most severely deteriorated sections of Boduthakurufaanu Magu, with paving blocks damaged and crumbling in several areas. Its redevelopment is expected to form an important part of the ongoing third phase.
The road improvements are also taking place as the government works towards relocating Malé Commercial Harbour to Thilafushi. The administration aims to complete the harbour relocation before November 11 next year, eventually moving major commercial port operations away from the congested capital.
