Delhi–Dehradun Expressway

Indian six-lane expressway

The Delhi–Saharanpur–Dehradun Expressway, also known as National Highway 709B (NH 709B), ^[2][3] is an under-construction, 210 kilometres (130 mi) long, 12/6 lane access-controlled expressway, which will connect Delhi, the national capital of India, with Dehradun, the capital of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It will pass through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will pass through the cities of Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli and Saharanpur. ^{[4][5][6][7][8]} The National Highway 307 (NH-307) is also apart of Delhi Dehradun Expressway.^[9]

It will have two spurs, or link roads, to ensure connectivity with cities lying nearby to its route: one 50.7-kilometre-long (31.5 mi), six-lane Saharanpur–Roorkee–Haridwar Expressway, and another 121-kilometre-long (75 mi), six-lane Ambala-Shamli Expressway.^[10] It is being built at a cost of around ₹13,000 crore, and will reduce both travel time and distance, from around 5-6 hours to only 2.5 hours, and from around 280 kilometres (170 mi) to 210 kilometres (130 mi). It will be completed by January 2024.^[11] It connect to Char Dham Highway in Uttarakhand.

Salient features

A 12-kilometre-long (7.5 mi) elevated corridor will be constructed over the Rajaji National Park to protect wildlife, thus it will be the second highway in India to have a wildlife protection corridor after NH-44. After completion of this expressway, the distance between the two cities would be reduced from 235 kilometres (146 mi) to 210 kilometres (130 mi), while journey time would be reduced from 6.5 hours to only 2.5 hours.^[12]

• Length: 210 kilometres (130 mi)
• Number of lanes: six lanes (extendable to eight lanes)

Construction

The expressway is proposed to developed in three phases:^[8]

• Phase I - brownfield: 32-kilometre-long (20 mi), 12-lane stretch between Akshardham (Delhi) and proposed EPE Junction.^[8]
• Phase II - greenfield: between proposed EPE Junction in Delhi and Ganeshpur near Saharanpur bypass.^[8]
• Phase III - greenfield: Expressway Stretch between Ganeshpur near Saharanpur bypass and Dehradun.^[8]

Route

This 210-kilometre-long (130 mi) expressway has two additional spurs.

• Main route Delhi –Saharanpur–Dehradun Expressway:
  • Delhi-EPE: 12 lanes from Akshardham Temple Delhi to 32 kilometres (20 mi) away intersection at Khekra with Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) near east of Baghpat. 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) from Geeta Colony to Khajoori Khas is elevated.^[8]
  • EPE-Saharanpur: 118-kilometre-long (73 mi) route with six lanes, seven interchanges and 60 underpasses from EPE to Saharanpur east bypass via
    • Mandola Vihar Yojna (Near Mandola Village),
    • Khekra (Baghpat eastern bypass),
    • Lohadda (Baraut eastern bypass),
    • Karaunda Mahajan (intersect NH 709A Karnal-Meerut),
    • Khyawari-Gogwan Jalalpur (just east of Thanabhawan on UP-SH12 Panipat-Muzaffarnagar),
    • Sohanchida Mast at 108-kilometre (67 mi) milestone (spur to Saharanpur-Roorke-Haridwar Expressway),
    • Latifpur Aht (next to Lakhnaur on Saharanpur east bypass, at 119 km).
  • Saharanpur-Rajaji National Park: 40-kilometre-long (25 mi) route with six lanes from Saharanpur east bypass to Ganeshpur in NH 307 Latifpur Aht at southern entrance of Rajaji National Park.^[8]
  • Rajaji National Park–Dehradun: 19.5-kilometre-long (12.1 mi) route runs through a two-tube tunnel of total 2.322 kilometres (1.443 mi) length, then 4.82-kilometre-long (3.00 mi) four-lane elevated flyover of 6-metre (20 ft) vertical clearance underneath for elephants and wildlife, then 2.12-kilometre (1.32 mi) at-grade hill route, and 340-metre (1,120 ft) single-tube tunnel.^[8]
• Spurs: two spurs.
  • Ambala-Gangoh-Shamli Expressway part of larger Bareilly-Ludhiana Economic Corridor: This 121.786-kilometre-long (75.674 mi) spur is part of 450-kilometre-long (280 mi), six-lane Bareilly–Ludhiana Economic Corridor (Bareilly-Ludhiana Expressway), which is partially access-controlled, partially greenfield & rest upgrade of brownfield highway with a March 2026 deadline. It has three sections, 90-kilometre (56 mi) brownfield upgrade NH 44 Ambala-Ludhiana, 121.78-kilometre (75.67 mi) greenfield Ambala (Sadopur)-Shamli (Gogwan Jalalpur), 220-kilometre (140 mi) greenfield Shamli (Gogwan Jalalpur)-Bareilly. Its future phase is Bareilly-Gorakhpur, which will connect with Siliguri–Gorakhpur Expressway.^[13] This spur begins at
    • Sadopur in north of Ambala,
    • Then runs as the northern and eastern bypass (Panjokhra) of Ambala,
    • Southwestern byass of Saha,
    • Southwestern bypass of Barara (with additional spur from Barara to NH 344 by upgrading HR-SH4),
    • Western bypass of Radaur (east of Ladwa Kurukshetra),
    • Chandro (bridge on yamuna),
      eastern bypass of Gangoh,
    • To Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway at Gogwan Jalalpur just east of Thanabhawan in Shamli district.^[14]

• • Saharanpur-Roorke-Haridwar Expressway: 50.7-kilometre (31.5 mi) route begins at Sohanchida Mast from 108-kilometre (67 mi) milestone of Delhi–Saharanpur–Dehradun Expressway southeast of Saharanpur, forms north bypass to Roorke, and ends at Bahadarabad on Haridwar west ringroad.^[8] This will have direct connectivity with the proposed Haridwar International Airport in the south or Haridwar, which will come up by 2030.

Inter-connectivity

This expressway connects with the following:

• Eastern Peripheral Expressway between Delhi and Baghpat.
• Ambala-Shamli Expressway^[15] with Enterchage Delhi Dehradun Economic Coridor.
• Saharanpur-Haridwar Expressway, from southeast of Saharanpur.^[8]
• Delhi Meerut Expressway is starting point of Delhi Dehradun Expressway.

Status updates

• Feb 2020: Central Government granted in-principle approval for the expressway.^[16]
• Aug 2020: The target completion date set as March 2024.^[17]
• Jan 2021: Tenders awarded for first two phases of Akshardham-Baghpat district border section.^[18]
• Nov 2021: For "Roorkee-Haridwar Expressway" 6-lane spur, ₹ 2,095 crore budget approved by the central government.^[19]
• Dec 2021: Foundation stone for the expressway laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 December.^[20]
• Dec 2021: Tender for "Roorkee-Haridwar Expressway" spur awarded to Krishna Constellation.^[8]
• Jan 2022: Tender for Shamli–Ambala Expressway invited.^[8]

See also

• National Highway 709B (India)
• Industrial Corridors of India

References

1. "Now reach Delhi to Dehradun in just 2.5 hrs; expressway to be completed by January 2026; here's all you need to know". Mint. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
2. "Central govt plans expressway between Delhi and Dehradun". Hindustan Times. 25 February 2020.
3. "Good News: सहारनपुर में वन्य जीवों को बचाने के लिए बनेगा एलिवेटेड हाईवे, मिली मंजूरी". Dainik Jagran. 31 August 2020.
4. "देहरादून से दिल्ली के बीच सफर अब ढाई घंटे में, इकोनामिक कॉरिडोर को केंद्र की अनुमति". Amar Ujala (in Hindi).
5. "दून से सिर्फ 206 किमी दूर रह जाएगी दिल्ली". Live Hindustan.
6. "Centre gives in-principle nod to Doon-Delhi elevated expressway". 24 February 2020 – via The Economic Times.
7. "Reach Dehradun from Delhi in just 2.5 hours via elevated road: CM Trivendra Singh Rawat | Dehradun News - Times of India". The Times of India.
8. Delhi – Dehradun Expressway – Information & Status Update, The Metro Guy, accessed 7 December 2022.
9. "Delhi Dehradun Expressway Route Map, Cost, Progress and More - Infra Info Hub". 1 August 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
10. "Haryana chief secy directs to expedite land acquisition for 6-lane Ambala-Shamli Green Field Highway". 20 October 2022 – via Times of India.
11. "Now reach Delhi to Dehradun in just 2.5 hrs; expressway to be completed by January 2024; here's all you need to know". Mint. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
12. "First highway with wildlife protection corridor! Delhi-Dehradun Expressway will cut travel time to 2.5 hours". The Financial Express. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
13. Bareilly-Ludhiana Economic Corridor – Information & Status, The Metro Guy, accessed 7 December 2022.
14. APCO Wins Shamli – Ambala Expressway Package 2’s Work, The Metro Guy, accessed 7 December 2022.
15. "Haryana chief secy directs to expedite land acquisition for 6-lane Ambala-Shamli Green Field Highway". 20 October 2022 – via Times of India.
16. goyal, raghav (25 February 2020). "Centre Gives In-Principle Approval For Dehradun-Delhi Expressway". TheQuint. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
17. K. Dash, Dipak. "23 new expressways and highways coming up in next 5 years | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
18. "गाजियाबाद जल्द शुरू होगा देहरादून एक्सप्रेसवे का काम, जारी हुआ पहले दो चरणों का टेंडर". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
19. Bhandari, Shashwat (18 November 2021). "Development work of 6-lane access-controlled highway on THIS stretch sanctioned". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
20. "New Delhi-Dehradun highway to be built: Here're details - Foundation stone laid". The Economic Times. Retrieved 4 December 2021.

External links

• National Highways Authority of India