Will eagerly-awaited Delhi-Dehradun Expressway finally open in January 2026?

Delhi-Dehradun Expressway

The much-awaited Delhi–Dehradun Expressway has missed its earlier deadline and is now expected to open for traffic by January 2026. Once operational, the expressway is expected to significantly reduce congestion in Delhi and ease pressure on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and other busy highways connecting the national capital to western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The ambitious project is being built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and is seen as a key infrastructure upgrade to improve road connectivity between Delhi and Dehradun.

The project, estimated to cost Rs 11,868.6 crore, was initially scheduled for completion by December 2024. The deadline was later revised to October 2025, as informed by the government in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. However, construction work remains incomplete on certain stretches.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on December 10, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the expressway is now at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed by January 2026.

He clarified that work on the 210-km-long expressway is largely progressing as planned, except for a 70-metre service road stretch between Akshardham and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway junction, which has been delayed due to ongoing legal issues.

The Delhi–Dehradun Expressway will begin near the Akshardham area in east Delhi and pass through several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Baghpat, Baraut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Saharanpur, before ending in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Designed as a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield expressway, the road will provide a faster and safer travel option for commuters. The project will also include a spur road connecting Haridwar and will link with the Char Dham Highway, improving access to major pilgrimage destinations and hill stations in Uttarakhand.

Once opened, the expressway will allow vehicles to travel at speeds of up to 100 kmph and is expected to cut the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from the current 6.5 hours to about 2.5 hours.