Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway: Cutting Travel Time by 60% with New High-Speed Corridor

The corridor is expected to reduce the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun to just 2 to 2.5 hours.

New Delhi:

The Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway, one of North India's most significant highway projects, has opened a section for trial runs, marking a crucial milestone toward its complete operational launch.

Upon completion, this 210 km high-speed corridor will slash travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from the current 6 to 6.5 hours down to just 2 to 2.5 hours, substantially enhancing connectivity between the national capital, western Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Officials are preparing to inaugurate a 32 km-long completed section of the expressway between late December and early January, while construction continues rapidly across other sections. Although no formal inauguration date has been announced, several portions of the road - particularly near Geeta Colony, Seelampur, and the Shahdara area in Delhi - have already opened for trial use. Barriers in the Shahdara and Northeast districts have been removed, allowing vehicles to move through and indicating an imminent public launch.

In conversation with NDTV, commuter Rohit Kumar shared, "We've been waiting for this for a long time. Traveling to my native place has become easier. I used to leave for home Friday evening after work and return Sunday night to be ready for office on Monday."

The NDTV team traveled on the expressway to report ground realities. Final touches are being applied to the newly designed six-lane highway. The expressway includes provisions for future expansion to eight lanes to accommodate increasing traffic volumes. The project features comprehensive modern infrastructure including multiple interchanges, service lanes, underpasses, and overbridges to ensure smooth and uninterrupted driving on NH 709B.

The corridor begins near Delhi's Akshardham Metro Station, connecting seamlessly to the Delhi-Meerut Expressway before passing through western UP's Baghpat, Shamli, and Saharanpur districts. It ultimately terminates in Uttarakhand's capital city, Dehradun, providing a direct, high-speed route for commuters, tourists, and commercial traffic.

Construction is progressing in four phases. The first stretch from Akshardham to Baghpat has been ready for some time. The second phase between Baghpat and Saharanpur is nearly complete, while the third is in its final stages. The fourth phase, which includes tunnels and elevated structures in the hilly terrain near Dehradun, is currently undergoing finishing work.

According to sources, the expressway will be fully accessible to the public by February 2026. The government has directed that the inauguration should occur only after all four phases are complete, ensuring a seamless, end-to-end high-speed travel experience for commuters.