July 22, 2024: The first section of the Delhi-Dehradun expressway, covering the stretch from Akshardham to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) is expected to open by November 2024. This will ease daily traffic congestion for commuters. The section will pass through Geeta Colony, Shastri Park, Sonia Vihar in Delhi and Vijay Vihar, Kasim Vihar and Mandola in Uttar Pradesh.
Around 19 km of the 32-km stretch between Delhi and EPE is elevated. Traffic heading straight will use this elevated, access-controlled section, while local traffic will use the six-lane service road. Vehicle movement on the service roads will improve because the NHAI is upgrading the entire stretch. This separation will also benefit local commuters, an official said, as cited in media reports.
Delhi Dehradun Expressway entry points
There will be seven entry points for traffic going from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh at Akshardham, Geeta Colony, Shamshan Ghat (Kailash Nagar), Sonia Vihar, Vijay Vihar and Mandola. Exits will be at Khajuri Chowk, Sonia Vihar, Vijay Vihar and Mandola.
For traffic coming from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, entry points will be at Mandola, Vijay Vihar and 5th Pusta, with exits at Mandola, Loni, Vijay Vihar, Usmanpur, Shamshan Ghat (Kailash Nagar), Geeta Colony and Akshardham.
Commuters entering and exiting the expressway in Delhi will have to pay tolls, a TOI report mentioned citing sources. Â
Delhi Dehradun Expressway features
The 32-km section of the Delhi-Dehradun expressway will include underpasses, railway overbridges and bridges to accommodate local traffic. A 28.4-km service road has also been constructed. The new expressway is expected to reduce traffic on the Delhi-Meerut expressway, with around 30,000 passenger cars estimated to switch to the new route. The expressway will also have a 51-km link to Haridwar, enabling faster connectivity.
The current deadline for completion of the entire 239-km expressway between Delhi and Dehradun is December 2024. However, minor issues in Uttar Pradesh might delay the project by a couple of months. Once operational, the travel time between the two cities will be reduced from more than six hours to around 2.5 hours.
Union road transport secretary Anurag Jain has requested support from the UP chief secretary for the timely completion of the project, which will be reviewed by Prime minister Narendra Modi in the next Pragati meeting.
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