Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh tomorrow. During his visit, Mr Modi will inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor in Dehradun. The Prime Minister will also undertake a review of the Wildlife Corridor on the elevated section of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor. After the review, Mr Modi will visit Uttarakhand, where he will perform Darshan and Pooja at Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun.

The 213-kilometre-long, six-lane, access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor has been developed at a cost of over 12000 crore rupees. The corridor will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over 6 hours at present to around 2 and a half hours. Implementation of the project also includes the construction of 10 interchanges, three Railway overbridges, four major bridges and 12 wayside amenities to enable seamless high-speed connectivity. The corridor is equipped with an Advanced Traffic Management System to provide a safer and more efficient travel experience for commuters.

Keeping in view the ecological sensitivity, rich biodiversity and wildlife in the region, the corridor has been designed with several features aimed at significantly reducing man-animal conflict. To ensure the free movement of wild animals, the project incorporates several dedicated wildlife protection features. These include a 12-kilometre-long wildlife elevated corridor, which is one of the longest in Asia. The corridor also includes eight animal passes, two elephant underpasses of 200 metres each, and a 370 metre long tunnel near the Daat Kali temple.

The Economic Corridor will play a pivotal role in strengthening regional economic growth by enhancing connectivity between major tourism and economic centres as well as opening new avenues for trade and development across the region.