Munnar: A bridge waiting endlessly for an inauguration finally found its way into public use, with local auto and taxi drivers breaking the deadlock and opening the facility for traffic two months after its completion.

The Pothamedu Bridge, constructed across the Muthirapuzha river near the Old Munnar Head Works Dam along the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway, was opened to traffic by local drivers on Wednesday.

Completed in the first week of May, the bridge was built during the previous LDF government following the intervention of former MLA A Raja to improve connectivity for Pothamedu residents. However, the inauguration was put on hold after the change in government and the election of a new legislator.

After the change of government, the new dispensation chose not to inaugurate a project initiated by the previous regime. The authorities subsequently placed barricades on both sides of the bridge, preventing vehicles from using it despite the work being complete.

With the bridge remaining shut for nearly two months despite being ready for use, a group of local youths and drivers stepped in, removed the barricades and opened it to traffic. The bridge was constructed at a cost of ₹ 6.80 crore.