Gurugram, November 19: The much-awaited Kundali-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway or the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) in Haryana was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. The WPE project, was to be completed in 2009, but took 15 years to get completed, as it was proposed in 2003. Reports inform that the original completion target of 136 kilometres long expressway was 2009 and since then it has missed multiple deadlines. The expressway is expected to divert heavy polluting vehicles from Delhi.

Here are the key facts to know about the Western Peripheral Expressway:

  1. The WPF is aimed to provide a high-speed link to the Northern Haryana with  Gurugram, Faridabad and Palwal. People travelling from North India will not need to pass through NCR if they take this expressway.

  2. The initial total cost of the project was pegged at Rs 1,915 crore but has been completed at the cost of Rs 6,400 crore.

  3. Nearly 3,846 acres of land was acquired at a cost of Rs 2,788 crore for the construction of the Western Peripheral Expressway.

  4. The WPE is believed to bring down travel time from Sonipat to Manesar to about 45 minutes on this signal-free corridor.

  5. The Delhi Western Peripheral Expressway was proposed in 2003 and the project was awarded to KMP Expressways Ltd., Madhucon Projects and Apollo Enterprises in 2005.

  6. Reports inform that the speed for light vehicles has been kept at 120 Kmph while for heavy vehicles the design speed is 100 Kmph.

The two expressways- the Eastern and the Western Peripheral Expressway,  are dubbed as the first smart and green highway. They have been made with several high-tech facilities including an intelligent highway traffic management system (HTMS), electrified by solar panels and faster Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system at toll booths.

In May this year, the Prime Minister had inaugurated the Eastern  Peripheral Expressway. Reports inform that highway was completed in the record time of 17 months after the foundation stone was laid by PM in November 2015. While dedicating the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) to the nation, Modi had said that the 135 km EPE has been built at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore in 500 days.

According to a report by PTI, the EPE is India's first highway to be lit by solar power besides provisions of rainwater harvesting every 500 metre on both sides. It also showcases 36 national monuments and 40 fountains. Meanwhile, there are 8 solar power plants on this expressway having a capacity of 4000-kilowatt (4 MW).

The Prime Minister also flagged off 3.2 km-long Escorts Mujesar-Ballabgarh section of Delhi Metro's Violent Line. With this, Ballabhgarh has become the fourth city in Haryana to get metro connectivity after Gurgaon, Faridabad and Bahadurgarh.

It must be noted that this is the Prime Minister's 11th visit to Haryana in four years. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will then lay the foundation of the country's first Sri Vishwakarma Skill Development University in Palwal district through remote control.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 01:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).