The foundation stone of the proposed Delhi-Dehradun expressway will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Built at the cost of around Rs 8,300 crore, the Delhi-Dehradun Economic corridor will cut the travel time between the two cities by a whopping 4 hours. “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-kilometre-long elevated corridor for the protection of wildlife,” the government said in a statement.

Besides, PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore in the poll-bound state. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “A significant focus of the visit will be on projects to improve the road infrastructure, which will make travel smooth and safer, and also increase tourism in the region. This is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister to boost connectivity in the areas which were once considered far-flung.”

All you need to know about Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor:

• The greenfield alignment project from Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, connecting Halgoa, Saharanpur to Bhadrabad, Haridwar will be constructed at a cost of over Rs 2000 crore.
• The expressway will cut the travel distance between Delhi and the Uttarakhand capital by 25 kilometres.
• It will provide seamless connectivity and reduce travel time from Delhi to Haridwar as well.
• The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will have Asia’s largest wildlife elevated corridor (12 km) for unrestricted wildlife movement.
• The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will have arrangements for rainwater harvesting at intervals of 500 m and over 400 water recharge points.
• The 340 m long tunnel near Dat Kaali temple, Dehradun will help reduce the impact on wildlife.

Hydroelectricity Project to be Inaugurated in Dehradun

The Haridwar Ring Road Project from Manoharpur to Kangri, to be built at a cost of over Rs 1600 crore, will give a respite to residents from traffic congestion in Haridwar city, especially during peak tourist season, and also improve connectivity with the Kumaon zone.

Major projects to be inaugurated by PM Modi include the 120-MW Vyasi hydroelectricity project and a 38-km long stretch of all-weather Chardham road project between Devprayag and Shrikot on NH-58. PM Modi will also inaugurate the widened 33-km stretch between Brahmapuri and Kaudiyala on the Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway which is also part of the all-weather road project. The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, which is set to be inaugurated by PM Modi, is expected to reduce the distance between the two cities from 248 km at present to 180 km. PM Modi will also lay foundation stones for other infrastructural projects worth Rs 220 crore for Badrinath.

The Dehradun – Paonta Sahib (Himachal Pradesh) road project, to be constructed at a cost of around Rs 1700 crore, will reduce travel time and provide seamless connectivity between the two places. It will also boost inter-state tourism. The Najibabad-Kotdwar road widening project will reduce travel time and also improve connectivity to Lansdowne.

Developmental Projects in Dehradun to Tackle Landslide Issues

PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the Child-Friendly City Project, Dehradun, to make the city child-friendly by making the roads safer for their travel. Foundation stone for projects related to the development of water supply, road and drainage system in Dehradun at a cost of over Rs 700 crore will also be laid.

PM Modi will also inaugurate seven projects, including those which focus on making travel safer by tackling the problem of chronic landslides in the region. Amongst these projects are the landslide mitigation project at Lambagad (which is en-route the Badrinath Dham), and chronic landslide treatment at Sakanidhar, Srinagar, and Devprayag on NH-58. The Lambagad landslide mitigation project in the chronic landslide zone includes the construction of reinforced earth walls and rockfall barriers. The location of the project further adds on to its strategic significance.

As per the official release, a bridge across River Ganga next to the Laksham Jhula will also be constructed. The world-renowned Lakshman Jhula was constructed in 1929 but has now been closed due to decreased load-carrying capacity. The bridge to be constructed will have the provision of a glass deck for people walking, and will also allow lightweight vehicles to move across.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the infrastructural projects to be inaugurated by PM Modi will “prove to be a milestone” in the development of the state.

Uttarakhand elections: PM Modi to Sound Poll Buggle For BJP

During his visit, PM Modi will address a rally in Dehradun to kickstart a poll campaign for the upcoming Uttarakhand assembly elections. He is scheduled to reach the rally venue at 12.30 pm. The rally is expected to show a turnout of more than one lakh people. Sources said BJP has thrown all its might into making PM Modi’s rally in Dehradun a grand success.

On Friday, Pradesh BJP’s general secretary Ajay Kumar held a meeting with presidents of the party’s different morchas over the preparations for the rally and issued necessary directions to them. Uttarakhand CM Dhami, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, and Pradesh BJP president Madan Kaushik visited the rally venue on Friday to take stock of various arrangements there.

Meanwhile, DM Dehradun Dr. R Rajesh Kumar said that all instructions have been given to keep all government and private educational institutions closed near 500m of Parade Ground in view of PM Modi’s rally. “Instruction is given to hotels/lodges/Dharamshala to give information of persons, tenants, servants staying there, to the nearest police station. Section 144 CrPC will be effective from 2 PM on Dec 3 to 4 PM on Dec 4, within a radius of 1 kilometer of the Parade Ground,” Rajesh Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.