Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: India to soon get Asia’s largest wildlife highway

India will soon get Asia’s largest wildlife highway corridor on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway which will protect wildlife and reduce the travel time between the two cities. Asia’s longest elevated wildlife corridor (12 km) is currently under construction in the Rajaji National Park. Earlier, the travel time from Delhi-Dehradun was 6 hours but with the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway project, the travel time will be reduced to 2.5 hours. Similarly, earlier travel time from Delhi-Haridwar was 5 hours, but with Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, the travel time will be reduced to 2 hours.

Recently, Nitin Gadkari took to Twitter when a breakthrough was achieved on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway project. The last 20km stretch passes through an eco-sensitive zone of Raja Ji National Park where Asia’s longest elevated wildlife corridor (12km) is being constructed which includes a 340m Daat Kali tunnel. The tunnel will protect the surrounding wildlife.

Here’s all you need to know about the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway project:

About the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway project

The 210 km Delhi – Saharanpur – Dehradun Expressway project by NHAI is a mix of brownfield and greenfield project which was approved for construction in 2020 under the Bharatmala Pariyojana’s Delhi – Dehradun Economic Corridor. Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of this Delhi-Dehradun Expressway on February 26, 2021. 

Delhi-Dehradun expressway will decrease the travel time between the two cities from 6 hours to 2.5 hours. Currently, the expressway is under construction but once completed, it will connect Delhi’s Akshardham to Uttarakhand’s Dehradun vie cities like Saharanpur, Bhagpat, Shamli and Ghaziabad.  

Cost of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway project

The total estimated cost of the Delhi-Dehradun expressway is over 12,000 crores and is expected to be operational by 2023.