Delhi-Dehradun expressway is power of double-engine Govts: CM

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta attended the inauguration of the Delhi-Dehradun highway on Tuesday and said travel time between the two cities will reduce from six hours to around two and a half hours. “This is the power of a double-engine Government. Delhi is continuously moving towards better development,” the chief minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, which will cut travel time between the two cities to nearly half.

The 213 km-long, six-lane, access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor has been built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore. 

The corridor traverses Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours currently to around two and a half hours, according to an official statement.

She noted that projects worth nearly Rs 1.25 lakh crore are currently underway in the capital under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, reshaping the city’s urban landscape.

Highlighting the broader significance of the expressway, the Chief Minister said it is not merely a road project but a vital link that connects Delhi’s modern infrastructure with the spiritual ethos of Uttarakhand, often referred to as Devbhoomi. “It is a true confluence of development and faith,” she said.

Delhi LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu said in a post on X that the expressway was a “game changer” for Delhi residents. “It will reduce travel time to Dehradun from nearly six hours to just about two and a half hours. With seamless, signal-free connectivity beginning from key points such as Akshardham, Geeta Colony, and Shastri Park, it promises to significantly decongest city roads while catalysing regional trade, tourism, and economic activity,” Sandhu said. 

He dubbed the inauguration of the economic corridor “yet another historic milestone” in India’s infrastructure journey.  This mega project stands as a powerful testament to the Prime Minister’s “transformative vision” coupled with the “dynamic execution” led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, he added.

The expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from around 6-7 hours to just 2-2.5 hours, bringing substantial relief to commuters and boosting tourism and economic activity. Gupta pointed out that India’s expressway and high-speed corridor network has expanded to over 3,000 km, while the national highway network has grown from about 51,000 km to nearly 1,46,000 km, an indicator of the country’s accelerated infrastructure growth. Referring to the strength of ‘double-engine governance,’ she said better coordination between the Centre and the Delhi government is helping the city move ahead at a faster pace.