The long-awaited Delhi–Dehradun Expressway is set to open for public use within the next 10 to 15 days, a move expected to drastically cut travel time between the two cities from around 6.5 hours to just two hours. The update was shared by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari during a response in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Responding to a question in the Upper House, Gadkari said he has already sought time from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the formal inauguration of the corridor.
“In the next 10-15 days, the Delhi-Dehradun expressway will be open for traffic,” Gadkari said.
A Rs 12,000 crore project reshaping connectivity
Built at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, the 212-kilometre, six-lane access-controlled expressway is designed to significantly improve connectivity between the national capital and Uttarakhand’s capital. Once operational, the corridor is expected to ease congestion on existing routes while boosting tourism and economic activity in the region.
The expressway has been divided into four sections and begins near the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway (DME) close to Akshardham. It passes through key areas such as Shastri Park, Khajuri Khas, the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) interchange at Khekra in Mandola, and further through Baghpat, Shamli and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh before reaching Dehradun in Uttarakhand.
Wildlife safety and engineering highlights
Special attention has been given to environmental protection, particularly along the Ganeshpur–Dehradun stretch, which has been designed to ensure safe wildlife movement. The corridor includes a 12-kilometre elevated section, six animal underpasses, two dedicated elephant underpasses, along with two major bridges and 13 minor bridges.
The project received government approval in 2020, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone in December 2021. With construction now nearing completion, the expressway is poised to become one of the most important road infrastructure projects connecting Delhi with the hill state.