- By Surarika Das
- Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:28 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway on Tuesday. The two-state project is expected to improve road connectivity between Delhi and Dehradun, shrinking the travelling time and making a smoother route around the hilly terrain. Before the inauguration, PM Modi will offer prayers at the age-old Dat Kali Temple on Tuesday.
The interstate roadway is built at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore and starts in New Delhi near the Akshardham Temple and completes its distance in Dehradun. The route passes through several towns in Uttar Pradesh, including Baghpat, Baraut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, and Saharanpur. Additionally, there will be a special road that would link it to Haridwar. For the ease of travellers, the expressway is also connected to the Char Dham Highway, which further connects key pilgrimage areas in Uttarakhand.
#WATCH | Dehradun, Uttarakhand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor.
— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2026
The corridor will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over 6 hours to around 2.5 hours. It has been designed with several features aimed at significantly… pic.twitter.com/JZj6J4UUbT
The newly constructed expressway is expected to make travelling between Delhi and Dehradun smoother and faster. At present, the journey roughly takes around 6 hours. Once the roadway is open for the people, the same trip shall be completed in 2.5 hours.
The authorities claim that the expressway will offer faster travel time than other modes of transport. The fastest train, Vande Bharat Express, takes around 5 hours, while the Shatabdi Express can take over 6 hours.
Flights take about 55 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes after boarding. However, the travelling time to the Indira Gandhi International Airport may take 30 minutes to an hour, depending upon the traffic. Apart from that, one needs to reach the airport at atleast 2 to 3 hours before departure. Overall, the total travel time roughly comes to 5 hours or more.
#WATCH | Dehradun, Uttarakhand: PM Narendra Modi says, "I apologise to all of you that I was more than an hour late in arriving here. I left on time. But the road show, from the Kali Temple to here, was nearly 12 kilometres long. There was so much enthusiasm and excitement that… pic.twitter.com/U2Acv0wouF
— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2026
The expressway is set to include five toll plazas. The toll collections have not started yet.
What Are The Features Of The Expressway?
The Delhi-Dehradun expressway features seven interchanges for a steady flow of traffic. There are also two rail overbridges and 10 major bridges. To ensure the ease of travellers, 14 wayside amenities are being created. The facilities shall include rest areas, food courts, fuel stations, and washrooms to make long journeys convenient and safer.
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway Crosses Rajaji National Park
One of the key features of the Expressway is its 12-km elongated stretch over the Rajaji National Park, which is engineered to protect wildlife.
The project is designed to protect wildlife; it includes two large elephant underpasses, each about 200 metres long, so that elephants can cross easily without coming in contact with traffic.
Along with this, six additional animal crossings have been created for other wildlife. Once operational, the 210-km-long expressway will significantly reduce travel time and ease traffic on existing routes.