Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Western Peripheral Expressway in Haryana’s Gurugram, ANI reported. He also flagged off the new Escorts Mujesar-Ballabhgarh section of the Delhi Metro.

The Delhi Western Peripheral Expressway project was proposed in 2003, at a cost of Rs 1,915 crore, News18 reported. The 135-km long highway, also known as the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway, is expected to divert 50,000 heavy vehicles away from Delhi daily.

“This western peripheral expressway had to be completed during [the 2010] Commonwealth Games, but we all know what was done back then, this expressway was also a victim of that,” Modi said. “This western peripheral expressway will contribute to reducing pollution. In a way, this expressway will help the- economy, environment, ease of travelling and ease of living.”

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After several delays, officials of the Delhi and Haryana governments and the Western Peripheral Expressway project developer met in June 2012 and set a new deadline of May 2013. But there were more delays after this, resulting in the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation penalising KMP Expressways Ltd, the company in charge of the project.

Several lenders, led by IDBI Bank, served notices to KMP Expressways Ltd for continued defaults in the performance of its financial duties. The project was stalled and the Haryana government paid the company and lenders a lump sum of Rs 1,300 crore.

However, the project was revived in 2014 under the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. In April 2016, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated a 53-km stretch between Manesar and Palwal. On Monday, Modi inaugurated the remaining Kundli-Manesar stretch.

In May, Modi had inaugurated the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal Eastern Peripheral Expressway, which is also expected to decongest Delhi by diverting around two lakh vehicles daily.