Driving from Delhi to Dehradun will soon become a breeze as the new Delhi-Dehradun Expressway nears completion. The expressway will cut down the distance and travel time between the national capital and the state capital of Uttarakhand to a little over two hours. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced that the construction of the new expressway will be completed within the next three months. The expressway, which is partially operational now, is expected to be fully open for public use from February next year.
The deadline to complete the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway has been extended a multiple times. The latest extension happened after the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) failed to complete construction by the end of this month. Gadkari has announced a new deadline which will end in next three months. It is likely to complete in February, 2025.
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Route map
A major part of the 210-km long expressway has already been completed and is operational for commuters. The expressway starts from Akshardham Temple in Delhi and passes through Baghpat, Shamli and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh before reaching Dehradun.
The first phase of the Delhi-Dehradun greenfield access-controlled Expressway connecting Akshardham Temple and Baghpat, which covers a distance of around 32 kms, is already open. The second phase of the expressway, which connects Baghpat and Saharanpur, is the longest phase with distance of around 118 kms. Parts of the second phase of the expressway is also being used by commuters. The third phase of the expressway connects Saharanpur and Ganeshpur through a 40-km stretch.
The fourth and final phase of the expressway is still under construction. The 20-km stretch between Rajaji National Park and Dehradun also includes a 12-km long elevated wildlife corridor, Asia’s largest, through the national reserve forest. It also includes a 340-metre long Daat Kali tunnel.
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Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Toll rates
The new expressway will come with a closed toll mechanism to enable toll payment only for the distance travelled on the highway. The NHAI has not announced the toll rates on this route yet. However, according to reports, the 18-km stretch of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway between Akshardham Temple and Loni will be free of toll charges.
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Highlights
The new expressway between Delhi and Dehradun will have six lanes. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had laid the foundation of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway on February 26, 2021. The expressway, developed by the NHAI, is being constructed at a cost of around ₹18,000 crore. The 210-km long expressway will reduce the distance between the two connecting cities by 25 kms. The time taken to drive between the two cities will reduce from around five hours to a little over two hours when completed. The expressway will allow cars to travel at a top speed of 100 kmph. The six-lane expressway will have more than 110 underpasses, five rail overbridges, four major bridges and as many as 16 entry and exit points.
