Reach Delhi to Dehradun in 2.5 hours, expressway on its final stage: 5 things to know

The 340-meter-long Daat Kali tunnel is being built as the Delhi-Dehradun expressway development enters its important last stage. The 12 km long elevated wildlife corridor that travels through the ecologically delicate Raja Ji National Park includes the tunnel. At a meeting, the union minister, Nitin Gadkari, declared that the tunnel aims to safeguard the local fauna. This elevated corridor, which will allow for free wildlife migration, is also the longest in Asia.

The 210-km long Delhi-Dehradun expressway corridor will significantly cut the distance between the two cities' travel duration from six hours to 2.5 hours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the ground for its development in December of last year, and it is scheduled to be finished in March 2024. In 2020, the expressway received approval.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is in charge of overseeing construction of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, which is being built at a cost of about Rs 8,300 crores. The statutory board approved it after concluding that no environmental harm or disruption to the wildlife passage on the Ganeshpur-Dehradun route (NH-74) stretch would result.

By using this new expressway, travellers would be able to travel from Delhi to Hardwar in about two hours as opposed to the current five hours. Seven significant interchanges will be located along the route to connect it to Haridwar, Muzzaffarnagar, Shamli, Yamunanagar, Baghpat, Meerut, and Baraut.

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Here are 5 things you need to know

The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is Asia's longest elevated corridor, allowing for the unrestrained passage of wildlife.

Under the direction of the National Green Tribunal, the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 8,300 crores .

The tunnel is part of the 12-km-long elevated wildlife corridor that runs through the ecologically delicate Raja Ji National Park.

The six-hour journey between the two cities will take just 2.5 hours because of the 210-km-long Delhi-Dehradun expressway link.

Seven significant interchanges will be located along the corridor to link it to Haridwar, Muzzaffarnagar, Shamli, Yamunanagar, Baghpat, Meerut, and Baraut.

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(With inputs from agency)