It took 18 long years to complete Kashmir's longest bridge.

The 284-meter-long bridge was thrown open to traffic in Srinagar [Images] on Saturday by the Chief Minister Ghulam [Images] Nabi Azad.

Work on the bridge across the flood spill channel in Bemina area of Srinagar outskirts was started in 1990, but was later abandoned due to administrative hiccups causing great inconvenience to a major chunk of the population living on the two sides of the channel.

The inconvenience would increase during times of floods and medical emergencies as the swollen water channel completely cut off these areas.

The completion of the bridge is the result of Azad's keen interest in finishing the project that had been conceived in 1980s.

In July 2007, the chief minister visited the incomplete bridge site and seeing the problems faced by the people, issued instructions to complete the bridge within 11 months, according to an official spokesman.

The construction work was taken up in triple shifts. The double-lane pre-stressed concrete bridge with 250 meter approach roads connects Srinagar with the central Kashmir Budgam district headquarters.