Delhi–Dehradun Expressway expected to open by February 2026 after multiple delays: Report
According to some reports, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has given its instructions to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to inaugurate the expressway only after all four phases enter completion.
The travel time between Delhi and Dehradun is slated to be significantly curtailed as the long-awaited Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, a 210 km corridor, is expected to open by February 2026, according to Hindustan Times. The travel time is likely to decrease between the two cities from six hours to under three hours.
Project Hit By Multiple Delays
Incurring a budgetary outlay of Rs 11,868.6 crore, the expressway has already been subject to multiple delays, with the revised target of October 2025 also witnessing a delay.
According to some reports, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has given its instructions to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to inaugurate the expressway only after all four phases enter completion.
Status of different phases
The first phase, which runs from Akshardham to Khekra in Baghpat, has been ready to undertake operations for over six months now. The second phase, which extends up to Saharanpur, is expected to be completed soon. Notably, the third phase, which encompasses works like widening of the existing Saharanpur Bypass to the Ganeshpur stretch, has entered into its advanced stages. Lastly, the final phase near Dehradun, which involves safety as well as some finishing work on the elevated section, is currently underway.
HT quotes an official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as saying, “The remaining works, including protection measures near the Daat Kali temple in Dehradun, installation of mobile towers, and works in the finishing tunnel, are expected to be completed in November.”
The foundation of the project was first laid by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in February 2021. It was followed by another ceremony led by PM Modi in December the same year.
The expressway passes through Saharanpur, Shamli, Baraut, and Baghpat, linking with the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and connecting to Haridwar and Roorkee.