VASCO: Thousands of people on Monday thronged the signature new Zuari Bridge mostly to take selfies even as heavy traffic jams were witnessed on the existing old bridge.

With Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement to keep the new iconic Zuari open for pedestrians to walk across and take photographs from 5 pm to 8 pm till December 28, large number of people parked their vehicles on either side of the bridge and walked on the cable-stayed bridge taking selfies and waited till night to witness the illumination of the bridge.

Besides taking selfies, many youth were seen playing music with guitars and dancing on the new bridge to the tunes of Bollywood songs and Konkani song ‘Undra Mhojea Mama, Ya Ya Maya Ya.’ Their joy had no bound as other revellers too joined them.

To add to the joy of revellers and to quench their thirst, some vendors too went near the bridge and opened their stalls while one make-shift stall selling eatables, tea and soft drinks has been officially permitted by the bridge contractor till December 28, and were seen making brisk business.

Speaking to some of the revellers they said that it is state-of-the-art bridge and suggested that the government should make it a tourist attraction by having the revolving tower. Some even thanked the government for constructing the eight-lane bridge linking both the districts and making it a centre of attraction.

“We were chilling at home and we decided to visit the new bridge. We liked it and we clicked many photographs and took selfies,” said two girls who declined to be identified.

The bridge will be formally inaugurated by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at 6 pm on December 29.