(Image source from: hindustantimes.com)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway on Tuesday. This long-awaited project aims to enhance road links between Delhi and Dehradun, making travel quicker and smoother. Before starting the expressway, the Prime Minister prayed at the famous Dat Kali Temple. "The Prime Minister has an event here on the 14th. He will visit Ma Dat Kali. You can see that preparations are being made. . . The PM will spend 5-10 minutes for the visit," mentioned Shubham Goswami, son of Mahant Raman Prasad Goswami. This expressway, which cost around Rs 12,000 crore to build, starts close to the Akshardham Temple in Delhi and concludes in Dehradun. It goes through several towns in Uttar Pradesh, such as Baghpat, Baraut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, and Saharanpur. There will be a special road linking it to Haridwar. The expressway also connects to the Char Dham Highway, which links important pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand.

The new expressway will make the journey between Delhi and Dehradun quicker and more efficient. Presently, the travel time is about 6 hours, but after the expressway is fully operational, the trip is expected to take around 2.5 hours. This expressway will likely provide the quickest travel time between the two cities compared to other transport options. The quickest train, Vande Bharat Express, requires about 5 hours, while the Shatabdi Express can exceed 6 hours. Flights are estimated to take around 55 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes. However, when considering the time taken to reach Indira Gandhi International Airport, which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour due to traffic, plus the requirement to arrive 2 to 3 hours early for check-in, the overall travel time also approaches 5 hours or more. The expressway will feature five toll stations, although toll collection has not yet begun.

There will be seven interchanges on the expressway to allow for smooth traffic flow. Additionally, the project includes two rail overbridges and 10 major bridges. To ensure travellers' comfort, 14 rest areas are being constructed. These will offer amenities such as rest spots, places to eat, fuel stations, and restrooms to make long trips more convenient and safer. One notable aspect of the expressway is its 12-km elevated section above the Rajaji National Park, which is specifically made to protect wildlife. Instead of clearing the forest at ground level, the design incorporates two large underpasses for elephants, each around 200 metres long, allowing them to cross safely without encountering vehicles. Plus, six other crossings have been created for different animals. Once in operation, this 210-km expressway will greatly shorten travel time and alleviate traffic on current routes.