This expressway will start from Akshardham and reach Dehradun, passing through Baghpat, Shamli, and Saharanpur. It will intersect with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) in Khekra.
The much-anticipated Delhi–Dehradun Expressway opened for a trial run on Sunday night. Barricades at the Gita Colony entry point were removed and vehicles were seen driving onto the new stretch.
The trials will run for 10 days, after which the authorities will decide whether to open it permanently.
The start of the expressway will provide relief from the long-standing traffic congestion in the capital, especially in Khajuri Khas and the surrounding areas, where long traffic jams used to occur daily for hours. Residents of these areas have been continuously demanding the early opening of the expressway.
Once fully operational, the 210-km road will reduce the distance between Delhi and Dehradun from six hours to just three hours.
Project cost and delays
The project, estimated to cost Rs 11,868.6 crore, has already faced significant delays, as it was originally scheduled to open to the public in October 2025. According to media reports, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to inaugurate the expressway only after all four phases are fully completed.
Route and key intersections
This expressway will start from Akshardham and reach Dehradun, passing through Baghpat, Shamli, and Saharanpur. It will intersect with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) in Khekra.
The project is being constructed in four phases. The first phase—from Akshardham to the EPE junction—has already been completed for over six months. In the Rajaji National Park area, Asia’s longest elevated corridor, stretching 12 kilometers, has been built as part of the project. Besides, six underpasses have been constructed for the safe movement of the animals.
The foundation of the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway was laid by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on February 26, 2021. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the expressway on December 4, 2021.
