NHAI expedites Delhi-Dehradun expressway project

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has fast-tracked the 32-km long Delhi-Baghpat section of the upcoming Delhi-Dehradun expressway and the project is destined to be completed by December 2023. The Delhi-Baghpat section has been proposed to be built with 12 lanes, with six lanes dedicated to long-distance travellers. The 32-km section has been divided into two phases: a 15 km stretch from Delhi's Akshardham to Loni in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and a 17 km stretch from Loni to Baghpat. The work order for the 17 km stretch in UP costing ₹1,654 crore was awarded in May and the work orders for the second Akshardham to Khekra stretch entailing an investment of ₹1,264 crore will be issued shortly. The two phases are scheduled to be ready by December 2023 and once the highway is commissioned, there will be a direct link between Delhi and Dehradun.

The highway will cater to about 20,000-30,000 passenger car units per day and will reduce the burden on the Delhi-Meerut road, which largely caters to the long-distance traffic passing through Ghaziabad. The under-construction Delhi-Dehradun expressway will reduce the distance between the two cities from 235 km to 210 km and will shorten the travel time from 6.5 hours to just 2.5 hours. The expressway will have a 25 km elevated road - 6 km on the surface and 14km in tunnels. The six-lane highway will pass through pristine forest areas and the entire corridor has been designed for driving with a minimum of 100 kmph speed. Delhi--Dehradun expressway will be the country's first highway where there will be a 12-km long elevated corridor to protect wildlife and enable unhindered movement of animals. The corridor will be built under the engineering procurement and construction (EPC) model.