Delhi–Dehradun Expressway

Why in News?

Prime Minister inaugurated the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, a project reducing travel time between Delhi and Dehradun with Asia’s largest elevated wildlife corridor integrated into its design.

• Project Name – Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor.
• Built under - The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH).
• Length – 210–213 km (6‑lane, access‑controlled).
• Connectivity – Originates at Akshardham in Delhi, enters Uttar Pradesh near Loni in Ghaziabad district.
• It then connects with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway at Mandola, creating a seamless regional transport network.
• Within Uttar Pradesh, the expressway passes through 4 districts, Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Shamli and Saharanpur.

• Travel time - The route is expected to bring down the current travel time of over 6 hours to roughly 2 and a half hours. 
• Assigned Speed – Designed for minimum 100 kmph driving.
• Wildlife Corridor – 10.97 km elevated stretch through Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Shivalik region which includes 340‑m Daat Kali tunnel.
• Eco‑Mitigation – 165.5 hectares afforested, 1,95,000 trees planted, sound & light barriers installed.
• Wildlife Use Evidence – Camera traps recorded 18 wild species including elephants, nilgai, sambar, jackals.
• Safety measure - Fitted with an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), will enable quick detection of accidents, with emergency assistance expected to reach within 10 minutes.
• Expected CO₂ reduction – 240 million tonnes over 20 years (equivalent to 6–6.8 million trees).
• Wildlife Institute of India study confirmed safe use of underpasses by elephants and other species.
• Landslide mitigation as per Indian Roads Congress (IRC) provisions.

References

1. Indian Express | Delhi–Dehradun Expressway
2. The Hindu | Delhi-Dehradun Expressway