PM Modi Inaugurates Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, Cuts Travel Time

In Dehradun today, PM Modi inaugurated the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, a project officials say will dramatically shorten travel times between Delhi and Dehradun and strengthen links with the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway, as well as routes to Haridwar and Roorkee.

The expressway includes more than 100 underpasses and five railway overbridges, and features a 12-km elevated wildlife corridor through Rajaji National Park with six animal underpasses to help wildlife cross safely. A 32-km stretch from the Delhi side — Akshardham through Geeta Colony, Shastri Park, Mandola Vihar in Ghaziabad, to Khekra in Baghpat — was opened to the public in December 2025, easing congestion on east Delhi while expanding the route network.

A Wildlife Institute of India study, commissioned by the National Highways Authority of India, shows the underpasses are being used as intended, recording 40,444 wildlife detections from over 111,000 camera-trap images captured over a 40-day period.

The project has drawn environmental criticisms for deforestation, with officials noting 17,913 trees were felled or transplanted. As a mitigation measure, NHAI says 50,600 trees are being planted within the right‑of‑way, and ₹40 crore has been allocated to the forest departments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In March 2025, the National Green Tribunal fined NHAI for failing to furnish details of afforestation.

Officials say the expressway will benefit people across Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, helping to slash travel times and boost regional development.

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