PM Modi to inaugurate Delhi–Dehradun Expressway today

It has over 100 underpasses, 5 railway over bridges, and links Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and routes to Haridwar and Roorkee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday inaugurate from Dehradun the 210km Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, which the government has said will reduce the travel time from six hours to two and a half hours.

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Delhi-Dehradun Corridor, Travel Time Reduced to 2.5 Hours | HT India

Also known as NH709B, the greenfield project, built at a cost of ₹11,868.6 crore, was initially slated for completion by December 2024 and passes through Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli, and Saharanpur. The project’s foundation stone was first laid on February 26, 2021, by Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari, who will also be present at the inauguration. Later, Modi laid another foundation stone on December 4, 2021.

delhi to dehradun road

PM Modi posted on X: “It is a matter of immense joy that the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will be inaugurated in Dehradun. This Corridor will significantly reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun and benefit the people of Delhi-NCR, UP and Uttarakhand.”

The expressway has more than 100 underpasses, five railway over bridges, and will link with the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and routes to Haridwar and Roorkee.

A key feature of the project is a 12-km elevated wildlife corridor through Rajaji National Park, equipped with six animal underpasses to facilitate safe wildlife movement. A recent study by the Wildlife Institute of India, commissioned by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), had said these underpasses are being widely used by wild animals as intended. A total of 40,444 wildlife detections were made from over 111,000 images captured using 150 camera traps over the 40-day period, the study said.

At the same time, the project has been criticised for deforestation. In a Rajya Sabha reply in July 2025, the Union ministry of road transport and highways had said a total of 17,913 trees were felled or transplanted. As a mitigation measure, NHAI said 50,600 trees are being planted within the right-of-way and ₹40 crore was given to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand forest departments.

In March 2025, NHAI was fined by the National Green Tribunal for failing to furnish details of afforestation.