A portion of Delhi-Dehradun highway e-way project collapses

A significant portion of the Delhi-Dehradun highway near the ambitious 180-km expressway project collapsed on Friday as a result of a landslide near the busy Daatkali tunnel, the entry point for the Dehradun valley from Saharanpur, disrupting traffic on both sides of the existing road and raising new concerns about the viability of the new elevated stretch on a fragile terrain. Environmentalists had regularly raised concerns about the proposed road project, notably the 12-km elevated section, due to the sensitive nature of the stretch that is part of the Shivalik ecosystem. Once completed, the expressway is anticipated to dramatically reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun, allowing for a 3 hour trip. However, due to the extensive infrastructure activity in the region and its effects on the 250 km Delhi-Dehradun route and its natural surroundings, experts have expressed worries regarding carrying capacity. Environmentalists' worries have been confirmed by Friday's road collapse, which occurred on the current roadway between Daatkali temple and Mohand and caused traffic to be disrupted for more than 3 hours. The necessity of reevaluating the expressway, which is being built adjacent to the motorway, has been emphasized numerous times. They questioned the caliber of the work being done on the Rs 12,000 crore project as well.