Modi to Inaugurate Delhi-Dehradun Expressway with 12-km Wildlife Corridor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 210-kilometre Delhi–Dehradun Expressway on April 14 in Dehradun, a project that promises to trim travel time from about six hours to two and a half hours. Built at ₹11,868.6 crore, the expressway also aims to ease congestion in East Delhi and improve connectivity to Haridwar and Roorkee. The route passes through Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli, and Saharanpur, with four phases and wide lanes that will link with the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.

A standout feature is a 12-km elevated wildlife corridor through Rajaji National Park, designed to protect elephants and other wildlife. Officials say the corridor includes six animal underpasses to facilitate safe movement, reflecting ongoing efforts to balance development with ecological safeguards. Earlier research notes 60 safe elephant crossings along the corridor.

The project includes more than 100 underpasses, five railway overbridges, and was built to accommodate future connections to routes to Haridwar and Roorkee. The expressway is divided into four phases, with the initial Delhi stretch to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway opened to the public in December 2025, and the entire project expected to dovetail with other major expressways.

On the environmental side, officials said 17,913 trees were felled or transplanted for the expressway, while another 50,600 trees are being planted within the right-of-way. The government has allocated ₹40 crore to forest departments in UP and Uttarakhand as part of mitigation.

Supporters say the expressway will boost trade and tourism while the wildlife corridor shows that development can coexist with conservation. Critics may raise concerns about tree loss and long-term ecological impact, but the project is touted as a milestone in northern India's infrastructure push.

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