Delhi–Dehradun corridor set to open
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the inauguration of the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor on April 14, a project billed to cut travel time between the cities and that includes a 12‑kilometer elevated wildlife corridor — described as Asia’s longest — to reduce man‑animal conflict. (x.com)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor on April 14 in Dehradun after reviewing its wildlife section in Saharanpur. (pmindia.gov.in) The Prime Minister’s Office said Modi will review the wildlife corridor at about 11:15 a.m. in Uttar Pradesh and formally open the road project at about 12:30 p.m. in Uttarakhand. (pmindia.gov.in) The road is a 210- to 213-kilometer access-controlled expressway built by the National Highways Authority of India at an estimated cost of about 12,000 crore rupees. Multiple reports say it is designed to cut the Delhi-to-Dehradun drive to about 2.5 hours from roughly 6 to 6.5 hours. (indianexpress.com) (economictimes.indiatimes.com) (pib.gov.in) A central selling point is the 12-kilometer elevated stretch through the Rajaji landscape, built so animals can keep moving below the road instead of crossing traffic. The government has described it as the country’s first highway with a wildlife-focused elevated corridor, while National Highways Authority of India material has called it Asia’s largest such elevated corridor. (pib.gov.in) (nhai.gov.in) The wildlife issue is not abstract on this route. A recent government-backed study covered an 18-kilometer forest stretch between Ganeshpur and Asharodi and said the area is habitat for elephants, tigers, greater hornbills and king cobras. (pib.gov.in) That study focused on whether animals were actually using the underpasses and whether the design was reducing conflict between traffic and wildlife in the forest belt. The corridor also includes a 340-meter tunnel near Dat Kali temple and multiple animal passes on the Ganeshpur–Dehradun section. (pib.gov.in 1) (pib.gov.in 2) The project has been in the works for years. In December 2021, the government packaged the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor with other Uttarakhand projects worth about 18,000 crore rupees, and by August 2022 it was reporting a construction breakthrough on the Rajaji section. (pib.gov.in 1) (pib.gov.in 2) The expressway also fits a broader push to speed road access from Delhi into Uttarakhand’s tourism and pilgrimage circuits. Earlier government briefings said a 51-kilometer six-lane link to Haridwar was being built to connect with the corridor, alongside plans for way-side amenities on the route. (pib.gov.in) If the opening proceeds on schedule on April 14, the first public test will be simple: whether a road sold as a 2.5-hour run can move Delhi and Dehradun traffic faster without turning the Rajaji forest stretch into another collision zone. (pmindia.gov.in) (indianexpress.com) (pib.gov.in)
