KOCHI: The Willingdon Island-Kannenghat bridge, which will link West Kochi with National Highway 966 B will be dedicated to the public on Friday.
Works Minister G Sudhakaran will open the bridge for the public at 9.30 am.
Built at a cost of Rs 60 crore, the bridge will also provide easy connectivity between West Kochi and Tripunithura. Though the construction of the bridge across the Kumbalam lake got under way five years ago, the delay in the construction of approach road and the change in alignment had resulted in the original deadline of 20 months being revised several times.
The bridge will allow commuters to skip the narrow and busy Thoppumpady Jn and Mattancherry bridge and help bring down the travelling distance between Aroor and the Island from 12 km to 6 km.
The new bridge will link Kannenghat in Edakochi with the stretch in front of the Maritime University on Willingdon Island.
M Swaraj MLA will preside over the inaugural function. K V Thomas MP, Mayor Soumini Jain; MLAs - Hibi Eden, K J Maxi and John Fernandez; District Collector K Mohammed Y Safeerulla; Port Trust chairman P Raveendran; GCDA chairman C N Mohanan and CPM district chief P P Rajeev will also attend the function.