Review reveals serious problems of Addu link road

A performance review conducted by the Auditor General’s Office has revealed that there are serious issues with the Addu link road that connects most of the districts of the city with one another.  The review was conducted regarding the accidents that occurred on the road.

It revealed that the 16-kilometer long road which connects Addu city’s Gan, Feydhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Maradhoo, and Hithadhoo has a layer of tar that is barely one inch in thickness.

The lack of thickness of the tar layer caused potholes and chuckholes to be formed on the road. Drivers who try to avoid these holes in the road end up driving on the wrong side of the road and sometimes result in accidents when trying to avoid these holes when traveling at high speed.

The Auditor General’s Office recommended to repair and renovate the road in order to put a stop to these accidents. 

The review also recommended making road signs on the road more visible since some of the signboards on the side of the road are covered with vegetation and are difficult for drivers to see. The review then noted that most of the accidents occurred near bends on the road and the lack of signboards and speed bumps near bends and recommended to address these issues as well.. It also noted the negligence of drivers when driving on the road, overtaking other drivers or driving onto the road. 

Another issue noted is that there are no separate lanes for motorcycles, cars, and pickups. The review also recommended pavements to be constructed for people who frequent the road for jogging. 

One of the most concerning issues noted is the lack of street lights in most areas of the road. The review found out that there were no street lights installed in the uninhabited islands that the road weaves through. The review recommended the installation of street lights in these areas.

Statistics showed that 91 dangerous accidents occurred on the road within the last ten years and 19 people died from such accidents on the road between 2013 and 2019. Around MVR 2.4 million was also spent on transporting those injured from such accidents to Male’ city for medical care.