The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced hat the Delhi-Dehradun Greenfield Expressway will be completed by the end of December 2023. The expressway built at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore will be 212 km long with 6 lanes. The expressway will reduce the travel time between Delhi to Dehradun from 6-7 hours to just 2 hours.Union minister Nitin Gadkari while addressing the Fifth Ayodhya Parv added, “People will be travelling from Delhi to Dehradun in just two hours and Delhi to Haridwar in 90 minutes as the construction work of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway will be completed by the end of December this year.”Government have also taken special measures to protect the wildlife while building the corridor. For the comfort of commuters, a 12-km long elevated corridor is being built between Ganeshpur to Dehradun, which will have six underpasses for wild animals, two underpasses for elephants, two large bridges, 13 small bridges, 12 sideway amenities are also being built on this road.The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is also known as NH 72A, which will start from east Delhis Akshardaham and will pass through Baghpat, Shamli and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Gadkari also added that the construction is being done as per international standards.In addition to this, Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha that work on the rehabilitation, strengthening, and four-laning of Banihal bypass has been taken up and the upgradation and widening work of National Highway-202 from Yaingangpokpi to Finch Corner, Imphal-Ukhrul road may take another year to complete, with the target of completion set for May 2024.Akshardham to EPE sectionThe announcement was made by the union minister Nitin Gadkari during the inspection of the six-lane Delhi-Dehradun Expressway. Meanwhile, the inauguration of the Akshardham to Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) crossing section on National Highway 709B.Gadkari also said that the ongoing construction of the 30 km long Dwarka expressway is complete by almost 80 percent, costing Rs 10,000 crore, which will help decongest traffic in Delhi. According to the latest information, the projects worth Rs 65,000 crore are under process to address the traffic issues in the National Capital Region.According to Gadkari, the road has been elevated for around 18 km of the first phases 31.6 km length, passing through populous areas as it travels from Akshardham to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway crossing. “Six lanes on the main carriageway and six service lanes have been planned for this segment. To guarantee ease of traffic, there will be four overbridges and three elevated parts. The motorway will significantly promote economic growth in the Delhi-Dehradun-Saharanpur corridor and also increase tourism in Uttarakhand,” according to Gadkari.Will ensure that the expressway is completed on time: Uttarakhand CM DhamiOn Sunday, the Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the under-construction Delhi-Dehradun expressway. During the inspection, while taking the stock of the Daat Kaali Tunnel from the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The chief minister directed the agencies to complete the work with in the stipulated time. He also ensured them for all the necessary support needed by them and also given them the go-ahead to carry out the work during the night as well on the e-way.The chief minister also interacted with labourers and staff and enquired about their well-being, food arrangements and accommodation. He added that increasing connectivity in the state will also boost to economic activities in the state.
