Hello Kochiites, here I’m finally at your service, after 10 long years of you having to suffer birth pangs.

I thought I would never be born but things changed drastically over the last year when the construction work really gained pace. But by then, the labour costs had almost tripled from the initial sanctioned amount of Rs 1425.38 lakh to Rs 13612.35 lakh.

For locals, however, I’m now 20 years old. Residents like Salim M.M. have vivid memories of survey chains run through the courtyard of his house as far back as 1992. I was officially conceived in 2002, when O. Rajagopal was the minister of state for Railways.

Right from the planning stages, everybody from the ruling party to the opposition was batting for me, citing the serpentine traffic queues at the Edapally railway crossing along the NH 17, a regular feature. I have witnessed many cases of vehicles carrying patients in critical condition to the Amritha Hospital.

Needless to say they failed in most cases. Then frayed tempers led to protests even as the railway men toiled hard to repair the old railway gates that would often get stuck.

Then two years later, when I got the grand nod from the Centre, I really thought I would be breathing petrol and diesel within the span of three years.

The Kollam-based Kaikara Construction Company was awarded the contract to construct me and work commenced on September 2005.

But it has not been smooth sailing for me since then. On the deadline for completion of the work, not even a fourth of my body had taken shape.

Even on the extended date for completion, March 2009, the half way mark was still a dream, and finally the contract was terminated because the contractor violated the agreement.

What hurt me most was the speedy construction of the new Venduruthy Bridge that was conceived in 2005, after the old bridge became unsafe for travellers as a dredger had damaged its pillar. My work was re-tendered on August 2010, and the Cherian Varkey Construction Company was entrusted with completing the job in a year.

Thanks to the last minute rush, I am finally getting some shape.