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What was once a long weekend getaway is now an easy long drive! Thanks to the newly inaugurated Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, the hill town of Dehradun is now just two-and-a-half hours from Delhi.
The 220-km, six-lane corridor doesn’t just cut travel time to Uttarakhand’s capital, but it also improves access to popular destinations like Haridwar and key starting points for the Char Dham Yatra. It’s also expected to make onward journeys for the Amarnath Yatra in June more convenient.
The expressway begins near Akshardham Temple and runs through parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Baghpat, Baraut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Saharanpur, before reaching Dehradun. One of its standout features is a 12-km elevated stretch through Rajaji National Park in the Shivalik Hills, designed to allow safe wildlife movement.
The route has been built with sustainability in mind, with provisions for rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. It also includes seven interchanges, 14 wayside amenities such as rest stops, food courts and fuel stations, 113 vehicular underpasses and 62 bus shelters to support local connectivity.
Travel time slashed by nearly three hours!
At present, a road trip between Delhi and Dehradun can take six hours or more, depending on traffic. The new expressway cuts this down to around 2.5 hours.
For comparison, the fastest train on this route, the Vande Bharat Express, takes about five hours. While flying takes under an hour, total travel time (including airport transfers and security checks) can exceed five hours.
Entry and exit points on the route
Loni
Khekra (Baghpat)
Lohadda
Karaunda Mahajan
Khyawari
Saharanpur
Ganeshpur
Asharodi
What about toll charges?
Toll fees at the five plazas along the expressway will apply once it is fully operational. A one-way trip by car is expected to cost around ₹670, with a round trip estimated at approximately ₹1,000.