Thiruvananthapuram, Friday 12 March 2010: Public Works Minister P.J. Joseph inaugurated the construction of the Maruthamkuzhy bridge here, putting an end to the 22-year-old wait of the city dwellers.

The bridge will be constructed across the Killi river connecting Maruthamkuzhy and Sasthamangalam. Inaugurating the work of the bridge, estimated to cost Rs 7 crore, the Minister said that it would be completed within one year.

He also said that the main pipeline of the Kerala Water Authority from PTP Nagar to Vellayambalam would be relocated for the construction of the bridge. The Minister said that once the construction of the bridge was completed, it would act as a gateway for the people from the eastern parts of the city.

It would also help them to conveniently skip the Sasthamangalam- Vellayambalam stretch which usually experiences heavy rush during the peak hours.

The work was stalled for over 20 years as the KWA pipeline posed an obstacle to the work, he said. Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran, V. Sivankutty MLA and Mayor C. Jayan Babu were also present at the function, which was presided over by Law Minister M. Vijayakumar.