Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to be open by January, assures Uttarakhand CM

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the under-construction Delhi-Dehradun Expressway on Sunday. During the inspection, Dhami took stock of the 340-meter-long Daat Kali tunnel and elevated section on the expressway from the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The chief minister directed the executing agencies to complete the work within the stipulated time and pay special attention to the quality.

He said that to speed up the works related to Delhi-Dehradun Expressway in Uttarakhand, NHAI will be provided with all necessary support needed from the state, to ensure the timely completion of the project. Permission has also been given to carry out work at night as well on the E-way.

"This highway will help in reducing the travel time from Delhi to Dehradun to just 2-2.5 hours. In the coming time, tourists will easily be able to come from Delhi. The work is going on very fast & we ensure that it is completed by January 2024. The speed at which road connectivity is increasing in the state it will give a major boost to economic activities in the state," he said.

He also interacted with the labourers and inquired about their well-being and ordered officials to take care of their (labours) health, accommodation and food arrangements.

It is to be noted that the last 20-km stretch of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway passes through an eco-sensitive zone of Rajaji National Park and concerning that Asia's longest elevated wildlife corridor (12 km) is being constructed that includes 340-metre Daat Kali tunnel, said a press release by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

While inspecting, Chief Engineer Public Works Department Ayaz Ahmed, District Magistrate Dehradun, Sonika, Additional Secretary Vineet Kumar and officers of NHAI were present.