Delhi‑Dehradun corridor opens

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor on April 14, opening a new expressway that cuts the trip to about 2.5 hours. (pmindia.gov.in) The access-controlled corridor is about 210 to 213 kilometers long, with six lanes, and official and media reports put the project cost at roughly Rs 11,868 crore to Rs 12,000 crore. (indianexpress.com) (thehindubusinessline.com) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways says the new route reduces the Delhi-Dehradun distance from 235 kilometers to 210 kilometers and cuts road time from about 6.5 hours to 2.5 hours. (indianexpress.com) A central piece of the project runs through the Rajaji landscape, where the highway is lifted above the ground so animals can keep moving underneath instead of crossing traffic lanes. The National Highways Authority of India says that stretch includes a 10.97-kilometer animal underpass, while other official and media accounts describe it as a 12-kilometer elevated wildlife corridor. (indianexpress.com) (pmindia.gov.in) That wildlife design was added because fast highways through forest corridors can block animal movement and raise collision risk for elephants, deer, and other species. A government-backed study released on April 10 said it had recorded the first documented wildlife use of the corridor’s mitigation structures before the road opened. (pib.gov.in) The study, led by the Wildlife Institute of India, reported animals using the underpasses, with golden jackal recorded most often, followed by nilgai, sambar, and spotted deer. That gives the government early evidence for its argument that the road can move traffic faster without fully sealing off animal routes. (pib.gov.in) (indianexpress.com) The corridor also matters because Uttarakhand’s pilgrimage and tourism season is about to intensify. Modi said on April 14 that the Char Dham Yatra will begin in the coming days, and the new road is expected to channel more traffic from Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and the wider National Capital Region toward Dehradun and the hill routes beyond it. (pmindia.gov.in) Supporters in government say the expressway will lower fuel use, freight costs, and travel time across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Critics of highway building through forest areas have long argued that mitigation works need monitoring after opening, not just at inauguration, because animal behavior can change once traffic volume rises. (pmindia.gov.in) (indianexpress.com) For drivers, the immediate change is simple: a route that once took most of a day by road is now designed as a single controlled corridor from Delhi toward Dehradun. For officials, the harder test starts after April 14, when the road’s speed and its wildlife safeguards begin operating at the same time. (thehindubusinessline.com) (pib.gov.in)