Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the 210km Delhi–Dehradun Expressway today in Dehradun. The expressway, built at a cost of ₹11,868.6 crore, is expected to reduce travel time from six hours to two and a half hours.
The project, which passes through Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli, and Saharanpur, has more than 100 underpasses, five railway over bridges, and will link with the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and routes to Haridwar and Roorkee.
A key feature of the project is a 12-km elevated wildlife corridor through Rajaji National Park, equipped with six animal underpasses to facilitate safe wildlife movement.
However, the project has been criticised for deforestation, with a total of 17,913 trees felled or transplanted. As a mitigation measure, NHAI said 50,600 trees are being planted within the right-of-way and ₹40 crore was given to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand forest departments.
