A recent media report indicates that the 213-km Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor is likely to open to traffic any time after the first week of February, promising a sub-three-hour road trip between the two cities.
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway About To Inaugurated
It appears that the nearly ready access-controlled corridor still has pockets of activity as small stretches are being finished, structures fine-tuned, and pit stops hurriedly prepared so that commuters have access to chai, water, and toilets.
Although politicians call it an expressway but actual controlled driving experience truly begins only after Loni.
Its initial stretch from Delhi’s Akshardham witnesses mixed traffic, with two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and even some four-wheelers moving unpredictably.
On this way, the Akshardham Metro station acts as a familiar choke point for daily commuters.
Notably, a few kilometres ahead, traffic is yet to be allowed as finishing touches continue.
On the contrary, the corridor is almost ready, said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), “Some minor pending work at the interchange of km 8 on Meerut Baghpat National Highway 334B is likely to be completed in the next 10 days.”
The average physical progress across all four phases is over 99%, with remaining work scheduled to finish within days, said NHAI officials.
What Are The Limits & Charges For Delhi Dehradun Expressway ?
After the completion of this project, the drive from Delhi to Dehradun will take less than three hours by car.
The commuters can cross four toll plazas and complete a one-way journey by paying just ₹60 with a FASTag annual pass and without the pass, the cost will be around ₹500.
On this route, the maximum speed limit is set at 100 kmph for cars and 80 kmph for trucks.
For those who are familiar with the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway or the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, they are most likely to notice the improved ride quality.
This is going to be a six-lane highway which was laid well before the last monsoon, giving the road time to settle instead of rushing towards an early inauguration.
It appears that the close monitoring by top authorities has also helped maintain better construction quality so far.
Delhi Dehradun Expressway Phases
The Delhi Dehradun Expressway is divided into four phases.
Its first Phase I (31.6 km) from Akshardham to Eastern Peripheral Expressway, has a brownfield stretch that converts an existing road into a six-lane elevated corridor with service roads.
Phase II (120 km) starts from Baghpat to Saharanpur Bypass which is a fully greenfield section.
Its Phase III (42 km) starts from Saharanpur Bypass to Ganeshpur in Uttarakhand and this stretch is fully ready.
The final Phase IV (20 km) stretch starts from Ganeshpur to Dehradun and this section includes both brownfield and greenfield portions and poses the biggest challenge.
