# Delhi–Dehradun Expressway

The Delhi–Saharanpur–Dehradun Expressway, also known as National Highway 709B (NH 709B), is an under-construction, 210 kilometres (130 mi) long, 12/6 lane access-controlled expressway, which will connect Delhi, the national capital of India, with Dehradun, the capital of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It will pass through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will pass through the cities of Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli and Saharanpur. The National Highway 307 (NH-307) is also part of the Delhi Dehradun Expressway.
It will have two spurs, or link roads, to ensure connectivity with cities lying nearby to its route: one 50.7-kilometre-long (31.5 mi), six-lane Saharanpur–Roorkee–Haridwar Expressway, and another 121-kilometre-long (75 mi), six-lane Ambala-Shamli Expressway. It is being built at a cost of around ₹13,000 crore, and will reduce both travel time and distance, from around 5–6 hours to only 2.5 hours, and from around 280 kilometres (170 mi) to 210 kilometres (130 mi). It connect to Char Dham Highway in Uttarakhand.

## Salient features

A 12-kilometre-long (7.5 mi) elevated corridor will be constructed over the Rajaji National Park to protect wildlife, thus it will be the second highway in India to have a wildlife protection corridor after NH-44. After completion of this expressway, the distance between the two cities would be reduced from 250 kilometres (160 mi) to 210 kilometres (130 mi), while journey time would be reduced from 5 hours to only 2.5 hours.
* Length: 210 kilometres (130 mi)
* Number of lanes: six lanes (extendable to eight lanes)

## Construction

The expressway is proposed to be developed in three phases:
* Phase I - brownfield: 32-kilometre-long (20 mi), 12-lane stretch between Akshardham (Delhi) and proposed EPE Junction.
* Phase II - greenfield: between proposed EPE Junction in Delhi and Ganeshpur near Saharanpur bypass.
* Phase III - greenfield: Expressway Stretch between Ganeshpur near Saharanpur bypass and Dehradun.

## Route

This 210-kilometre-long (130 mi) expressway has two additional spurs.
* Main route Delhi –Saharanpur–Dehradun Expressway:
** Delhi-EPE: 12 lanes from Akshardham Temple Delhi to 32 kilometres (20 mi) away intersection at Khekra with Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) near east of Baghpat. 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) from Geeta Colony to Khajoori Khas is elevated.
** EPE-Saharanpur: 118-kilometre-long (73 mi) route with six lanes, seven interchanges and 60 underpasses from EPE to Saharanpur east bypass via
*** Mandola Vihar Yojna (Near Mandola Village),
*** Khekra (Baghpat eastern bypass),
*** Lohadda (Baraut eastern bypass),
*** Karaunda Mahajan (intersects NH 709A Karnal-Meerut) Highway,
*** Karoda Hathi - Babri (intersects NH 709AD Panipat-Nagina) Highway,
*** Gogwan Jalalpur (just south east of Thanabhawan, intersects NH 344GM Ambala-Shamli Expressway.
*** Halgoya at 108-kilometre (67 mi) milestone, intersects NH 344BG Saharanpur-Haridwar Expressway,
*** Latifpur Aht (next to Lakhnaur on Saharanpur east bypass, at 119 km).
** Saharanpur-Rajaji National Park: 40-kilometre-long (25 mi) route with six lanes from Saharanpur east bypass to Ganeshpur in NH 307 Latifpur Aht at southern entrance of Rajaji National Park.
** Rajaji National Park–Dehradun: 19.5-kilometre-long (12.1 mi) route runs through a two-tube tunnel of total 2.322 kilometres (1.443 mi) length, then 4.82-kilometre-long (3.00 mi) four-lane elevated flyover of 6-metre (20 ft) vertical clearance underneath for elephants and wildlife, then 2.12-kilometre (1.32 mi) at-grade hill route, and 340-metre (1,120 ft) single-tube tunnel.
* Spurs: one spur.
* Saharanpur-Roorkee-Haridwar Expressway: 50.7-kilometre (31.5 mi) route begins at Sohanchida Mast from 108-kilometre (67 mi) milestone of Delhi–Saharanpur–Dehradun Expressway southeast of Saharanpur, forms north bypass to Roorkee, and ends at Bahadarabad on Haridwar west ringroad. This will have direct connectivity with the proposed Haridwar International Airport in the south or Haridwar, which will come up by 2030.

## Inter-connectivity

This expressway connects with the following:
* Eastern Peripheral Expressway between Delhi and Baghpat.
* Ambala-Shamli Expressway interchange with the Delhi Dehradun Economic Corridor.
* Saharanpur-Haridwar Expressway, from southeast of Saharanpur.
* Delhi Meerut Expressway is starting point of Delhi Dehradun Expressway.

## Status updates

* 2020 Feb: Central Government granted in-principle approval for the expressway.
* 2021 Jan: Tenders awarded for first two phases of Akshardham-Baghpat district border section.
* 2021 Nov: For "Roorkee-Haridwar Expressway" 6-lane spur, ₹ 2,095 crore budget approved by the central government.
* 2021 Dec: Foundation stone for the expressway laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 December.
* 2021 Dec: Tender for "Roorkee-Haridwar Expressway" spur awarded to Krishna Constellation.
* 2022 Jan: Tender for Shamli–Ambala Expressway invited.
* 2024 Sep: Delhi-Dehradun Expressway will be completed and opened for traffic by December 2024 and it's Roorkee-Haridwar Expressway spur will be completed by May 2025.