Washington, Mar 30 (IANS): US President Donald Trump has signed a permit for the construction of TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL oil pipeline, allowing the long-delayed project to move forward despite environmental concerns.

In November 2018, US District Court Judge Brian Morris in Montana ruled to halt the construction of the disputed oil pipeline, demanding the energy company complete a supplemental environmental review before advancing the project, reports Xinhua news agency.

Trump's new permit supersedes a March 2017 order, which was invalidated by the Montana judge a few months ago.

The President's new order on Friday is seen as a way to circumvent the Montana judge's ruling.

The Keystone XL project, first proposed in 2008, was to run from Canada's Alberta oil sands through the states of Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries along the US Gulf Coast.

The project was rejected by former President Barack Obama's administration in November 2015, because Democrats and environmental groups said it could worsen climate change.

The Trump administration reversed the decision and granted a presidential permit to TransCanada for building the pipeline in March 2017, claiming it would create a lot of jobs.