Delhi-Dehradun Expressway Opens With 11 km Wildlife Corridor

17 Apr 2026 CW Team

The expressway is designed for a minimum speed of 100 kmph and comprises multiple packages intended to decongest north-east Delhi and improve regional connectivity. The first package comprises 14.75 km in Delhi, of which six point four km is elevated, and a 16.85 km section in Uttar Pradesh with 11.2 km elevated. Subsequent stretches pass through Baghpat, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur, and a four-lane link runs from the Saharanpur bypass to Ganeshpur.

A 20 km corridor through Reserve Forest and Rajaji National Park includes a 10.97 km animal underpass and an elevated wildlife corridor averaging six to seven metres in height to permit movement of the largest mammals. The Daat Kali tunnel, at 340 metres, had its breakthrough in August 2022 and was constructed to facilitate wildlife passage. Officials said compensatory afforestation has been undertaken across 165.5 hectares and about 195,000 trees have been planted as mitigation.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), reported that a forty-day monitoring study using 150 camera traps and 29 AudioMoth recorders produced 111,234 images, of which 40,444 were of 18 wild species using the structures and 60 records of elephants using the corridor. Authorities reported fuel savings projected at around 19 per cent and an expected reduction of 240 million tonnes (240 mn t) of carbon dioxide over the next 20 years, equivalent to the absorption capacity of six to six point eight million trees. The agency also said a land dispute over a 90-metre stretch of service road had been addressed with a temporary bypass to avoid hindrance to mainline traffic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, a 210-km controlled-access highway built at a cost of Rs 118.68 bn, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said. The ministry said the route will reduce the road distance from 235 km to 210 km and cut travel time from six point five hours to two point five hours when operational. The project includes a spur to Haridwar. The expressway is designed for a minimum speed of 100 kmph and comprises multiple packages intended to decongest north-east Delhi and improve regional connectivity. The first package comprises 14.75 km in Delhi, of which six point four km is elevated, and a 16.85 km section in Uttar Pradesh with 11.2 km elevated. Subsequent stretches pass through Baghpat, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur, and a four-lane link runs from the Saharanpur bypass to Ganeshpur. A 20 km corridor through Reserve Forest and Rajaji National Park includes a 10.97 km animal underpass and an elevated wildlife corridor averaging six to seven metres in height to permit movement of the largest mammals. The Daat Kali tunnel, at 340 metres, had its breakthrough in August 2022 and was constructed to facilitate wildlife passage. Officials said compensatory afforestation has been undertaken across 165.5 hectares and about 195,000 trees have been planted as mitigation. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), reported that a forty-day monitoring study using 150 camera traps and 29 AudioMoth recorders produced 111,234 images, of which 40,444 were of 18 wild species using the structures and 60 records of elephants using the corridor. Authorities reported fuel savings projected at around 19 per cent and an expected reduction of 240 million tonnes (240 mn t) of carbon dioxide over the next 20 years, equivalent to the absorption capacity of six to six point eight million trees. The agency also said a land dispute over a 90-metre stretch of service road had been addressed with a temporary bypass to avoid hindrance to mainline traffic.

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