DS Constructions has, meanwhile, decided to begin tolling from 9 pm on January 25.

The presence of VIP entourage notwithstanding, it was a no-frills affair: no speeches, no thank-you messages. The ribbon cut, Baalu rushed to his car immediately.

"We were not waiting for any VIP to inaugurate the flyover," he maintained. "The delay was due to incomplete work - several safety components were not in place, which has been put up now. We opened the entire stretch once the safety mechanisms were in place."

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her Haryana counterpart, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, were present on the occasion.

National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) chairman N Gokulram said they wanted to open the flyover "in entirety", once work in the entire stretch was over.

Independent consultants RITES, which till now maintained it would not grant completion certificate till everything is in place, gave the certificate on Tuesday. “Work finished on the expressway by 2 pm on Tuesday. Our team immediately inspected the location and the completion certificate was granted," Col Bhasin of RITES said.