The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the completion of a long-awaited infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity between Uttarakhand and the national capital. The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Dehradun and Delhi to around two and a half hours.
During the event, the Prime Minister also announced multiple development projects, including hydropower initiatives, benefiting three states. Before the inauguration, he paid tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and was felicitated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also honoured him with a traditional shawl and a memento related to the Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra.
Built at an estimated cost of ₹11,963 crore, the 212 km-long Delhi-Dehradun Expressway connects Akshardham in Delhi to Asharodi in Dehradun via Baghpat, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur. The project includes over 100 underpasses, several flyovers, रेलवे overbridges and tunnels, ensuring smoother traffic flow.
A key feature of the expressway is the elevated wildlife corridor, which has been divided into three zones—Ganeshpur, Mohand and Asharodi—by the Wildlife Institute of India. This structure is designed to protect wildlife movement while maintaining high-speed connectivity.
Construction of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway began in December 2021, and the project has now been completed after multiple delays. The inauguration brings an end to years of anticipation among commuters and businesses.
The improved connectivity is expected to boost tourism, trade and regional development. However, authorities have also raised concerns about increased traffic pressure in Dehradun following the opening of the expressway.
Several senior leaders and officials were present at the event, including Union Minister Ajay Tamta and former Chief Ministers Vijay Bahuguna, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat, along with other state leaders.
