The prime minister’s office further informed that the greenfield alignment project will have 7 major interchanges for connectivity to Haridwar, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Yamunagar, Baghpat, Meerut and Baraut
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will lay the foundation stone for Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, which is likely to cut the travel time between the two cities from 6 hours to 2.5 hours. News18
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will lay the foundation stone for Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, which is likely to cut the travel time between the two cities from 6 hours to 2.5 hours.
He will inaugurate the project, which will be built at a cost of around Rs 8,300 crore, in Dehradun.
Corridor to have seven major interchanges
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) further informed that the greenfield alignment project will have 7 major interchanges for connectivity to Haridwar, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Yamunagar, Baghpat, Meerut and Baraut.
It will also have Asia’s largest wildlife elevated corridor (12 kilometres) for unrestricted movement of animals. Also, the 340 m long tunnel near Dat Kaali temple, Dehradun will help reduce impact on wildlife, according to the PMO release.
Multiple animal passes are also being built in the Ganeshpur-Dehradun section to avoid collisions. The corridor will have arrangements for rainwater harvesting at intervals of 500 metres and over 400 water recharge points.
Further, the government will construct a greenfield alignment project from Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, connecting Halgoa, Saharanpur to Bhadrabad, Haridwar, at a cost of over Rs 2,000 crore. This passage will reduce travel time from Delhi to Haridwar.
PM to announce multi projects worth around Rs 18,000 cr
On Saturday, the prime minister will be inaugurating and laying foundation stone for multiple projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore, the PMO said. “A significant focus of the visit will be on projects to improve 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.”
Apart from these, the Haridwar Ring Road Project to be built from Manoharpur to Kangri at a cost of over Rs 1,600 crore, will reduce traffic congestion in Haridwar city, especially during peak tourist season. Next, the Dehradun-Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh road project that will cost around Rs 1,700 crore, will reduce travel time between the two places. Then the Nazimabad-Kotdwar road widening project will help reduce travel time to Lansdowne.
In line with Modi’s vision to develop smart spiritual towns and upgrade tourism related infrastructure, the foundation stone for infrastructure development works at Shri Badrinath Dham and Gangotri-Yamunotri Dham will be laid. Also, a new medical college in Haridwar will be constructed at a cost of over Rs 500 crore, it said.
He will also inaugurate seven projects, including those which focus on making travel safer by tackling the problem of chronic landslides in the region.
The PMO release further added that 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.
The prime minister 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.
Projects to focus on tackling chronic landslides
He will inaugurate seven projects, including those which focus on making travel safer by tackling the problem of chronic landslides in the region. He will also inaugurate Hydroelectric Project and Himalayan Culture Center at Dehradun.
Earlier this year, the ministry of road transport and highways said in a statement, the corridor is designed for driving with a minimum 100 kmph speed. “Wayside amenities every 25km-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 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 statement added.
With inputs from agencies