New Delhi: Passengers and commuters between Delhi and Uttarakhand have reason to celebrate. The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14, promises to drastically reduce travel time, improve road safety, and enhance connectivity for hill towns and pilgrimage sites.

Once open, the expressway will cut the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from 6.5 hours to just 2.5 hours, allowing travellers to reach the hills in record time. The 6-lane access-controlled corridor has a designated speed limit of 100 kmph, ensuring a smooth and efficient journey.

The expressway begins near Akshardham Temple in Delhi and passes through several important towns in Uttar Pradesh, including Baghpat, Baraut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, and Saharanpur, before ending at Dehradun in Uttarakhand. A spur towards Haridwar connects directly to the Char Dham Highway, improving access to major pilgrimage sites.

Built at a cost of ₹12,000 crore, the corridor includes:

  • Seven interchanges for seamless connectivity
  • Two railway overbridges and ten bridges
  • Fourteen wayside amenities for convenience
  • A 370-metre tunnel near Daat Kali temple
  • Asia’s largest 12-km elevated wildlife corridor

The expressway also features two 200-metre-long elephant underpasses and six animal passes, ensuring safe wildlife crossings and reducing accident risks.

Officials highlighted that the expressway was designed with environmental and wildlife protection in mind, making it one of India’s most advanced green highway projects. Commuters can now enjoy faster travel without compromising on safety—for both humans and animals.