TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani officially inaugurated the Hemmat-Karaj Freeway on Tuesday, IRNA reported.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials including the Minister of Transport and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami, Deputy Transport Minister Kheirollah Khademi, and Presidential Chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi.

Stretching 14.5 kilometers (km), Hemmat-Karaj Freeway starts from the end of Shahid Kharrazi Highway in District 22 Municipality of Tehran and ends at the beginning of Chalous Road.

As reported, with this freeway going operational nearly 35 percent of Tehran and Alborz transportation traffic will be shifted to this route and consequently the traffic in the mentioned provinces will be significantly reduced.

The project started nearly 10 years ago and the first section of the freeway, extending as long as 5.5 km, was completed with $2.6 million of funding and went operational previously this year.

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Photo: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (1st R) inaugurates Hemmat-Karaj Freeway on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by Presidential Chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi (2nd L), and Deputy Transport Minister Kheirollah Khademi (1st L).