Delhi-Dehradun Expressway faces another delay, opening now likely by February 2026

The long-awaited Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is now expected to open to the public by February 2026, after facing several delays over the last two years.

Once operational, the 210-km expressway will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from nearly six hours to just around 2.5 hours.

The Rs 11,868.6 crore project, being built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), was initially scheduled for completion in December 2024. Later, in a reply to the Rajya Sabha in July 2025, the government revised the deadline to October 2025. However, construction work is still underway on some stretches.

According to officials, the new deadline was set after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) advised the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to inaugurate the project only when all four phases are completed and fully operational, Hindustan Times reported.

The four phases of Delhi-Dehradun Expressway

The expressway has been divided into four phases. The first phase, which begins from Akshardham in Delhi and passes through Geeta Colony, Shastri Park, Mandola Vihar, and ends at Khekra in Baghpat, has already been ready for more than six months. During the local flooding in Delhi on September 8, several commuters even used this stretch after removing barriers to bypass waterlogged city roads.

The second phase, which runs from Baghpat to Saharanpur, is almost complete, with finishing touches being given on a few remaining patches.

The third phase involves widening the existing road between Saharanpur Bypass and Ganeshpur. Officials say that this section is also in an advanced stage of construction.

In the fourth phase, near Dehradun, safety works and finishing activities are ongoing, including the elevated section and tunnels.

During the monsoon, precautionary work was carried out due to flooding near a seasonal river. “The remaining tasks, such as flood protection near the Daat Kali temple, installation of mobile towers, and tunnel finishing, are expected to be completed by November 2025,” an NHAI official was quoted by HT as saying.

Unique features of Delhi-Dehradun Expressway

The foundation stone for the expressway was laid in February 2021 by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, followed by a ceremonial foundation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2021. The expressway will connect several key regions including Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli, and Saharanpur, before entering Uttarakhand.

One of its major highlights is the 12-km-long elevated corridor through Rajaji National Park, which will be Asia’s longest wildlife corridor. It includes six animal underpasses to allow safe movement of wildlife.

The expressway will also feature over 100 underpasses, five railway overbridges, and will connect with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and major roads leading to Haridwar and Roorkee.

However, the project has faced criticism over deforestation. According to a Rajya Sabha reply, around 17,913 trees were felled or transplanted for construction. To offset this, NHAI has initiated plantation of over 50,600 trees and allocated Rs 40 crore to the forest departments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In March 2025, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a fine on NHAI for not submitting adequate details of its compensatory afforestation plan.