A stretch of highway in the US state of California has been named after a 33-year-old Indian-origin policeman Ronil Singh who was shot dead during a traffic stop in 2018 by an illegal immigrant.

The stretch of the highway is now known as 'Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway'.

The Signage proclaiming the “Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway” stands at Highway 33 and Stuhr Road, reports The Modesto Bee.

The stretch was dedicated to the slain cop by the Newman Police Department.

The unveiling ceremony reportedly took place on Saturday and it was attended by his family members, colleagues, and officers.

On the back of the signboard, Singh's son Arnav, who was just five months old at the time of his death, wrote a short emotional message that read: "Love you Papa."

The Newman Police Department shared some images of the renamed stretch on its Instagram page and wrote: "This moment was a long time coming! Today a section of Highway 33 was dedicated to the memory of Corporal Ronil Singh and named 'Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway'. We would like to thank everyone who helped make this possible and who joined us for the ceremony."

Senator Alvarado-Gil wrote on Facebook: "Today, a promise that was made has finally been brought to life. The Newman community honoured the late Corporal Singh for his dedication and commitment to putting his life on the line for the safety of others."

"The community came in numbers, showering the Singh family with love and support as they finally got to see this project come to life.Corporal Ronil Singh will always be a hero," she said.

In 2019, former US President Donald Trump had described Singh as a national "hero"