Centre gives in-principle nod to Doon-Delhi elevated expressway

The Centre has given in-principle nod to the construction of an elevated expressway between Dehradun and New Delhi which will reduce the distance between the two cities to 180 kms.

The Centre's go-ahead to the project was conveyed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat by the National Highway Authority of India Chairman S S Sandhu who made a courtesy call to the former at his residence here on Monday, an official release said.

Congratulating the people of the state after his meeting with Sandhu, the chief minister said the construction of the highway will boost tourism and prove to be a milestone in its economic development.

It will reduce the distance betweenDehradun and the national capitalto 180 kms and the state government will extend all support to the NHAI for the construction of the elevated highway, Rawat said.

At present, the distance between Dehradun and Delhiis around 250 kms.

Work on thehighway, which will reduce travel time between the two cities to two and a half hours, will begin soon, Sandhu said at the meeting with Rawat.

Construction of an elevated road on the route besides a new tunnel near Mohand on the outskirts of Dehradunis proposed as part of the project, the NHAI chairman said.

Noting that parts of the proposed highway falls under the jurisdiction of forest and wildlife department of neighbouring Uttar Pardesh, Sandhu asked the chief minister to request the UP government for speedy forest and environment clearances so that work on the project could be expedited.