The expressway will take approximately two years to be operational (Representational)
The proposed Delhi-Dehradun expressway will curtail the travel time between the two cities by a whopping 4 hours and will act as a catalyst for the economic development of the region, the Centre said today, adding the road is designed for driving at a minimum speed of 100 kilometre per hour.
The motorway will have an elevated 12-kilometer stretch to enable unhindered movement of animals. It will be Asia's largest such wildlife corridor.
The Centre, in a statement, said the road will cut the travel distance between Delhi and the Uttarakhand capital by 25 kilometres.
"The Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Economic corridor, work on which is underway, will reduce the distance between the two cities from 235 kilometres to 210 kilometres, and travel time from 6.5 hours as of now, to just 2.5 hours, once it is completed. This will be the country's first highway where there will be a 12-kilometer-long elevated corridor for protection of wildlife," the government said in a statement.
The expressway will have a total 25 kilometres of elevated road - 6 kilometres in open, 14 in tunnels. The six-lane highway will pass through pristine forest areas.
The government said the land acquisition and environmental clearance processes are in final stages.
"Wayside amenities every 25-30 km have been provisioned for enhancing the road user experience. Closed toll mechanism would be adopted to enable pay toll only to the extent of highway used," it added.
The expressway will take approximately two years to be operational.
"The development of this corridor is expected to boost the economy of the region being served by the highway, especially boosting the tourism in Uttarakhand," the government said.