India, April 14 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Member of Parliament from Almora, Shri Ajay Tamta, said that today is a historic day for Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, as the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, providing a new impetus to the state's development. He said that this project will open new opportunities for development, tourism, industry, and employment in Uttarakhand, and will give a new impetus to the regional economy.

He stated that during the program, the Prime Minister arrived in Dehradun, where he was welcomed by state representatives and officials. Following this, the Prime Minister conducted a roadshow on the Saharanpur section of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway project and inspected the Wildlife Elevated Corridor. During the visit, he also received information on its technical features from project officials.

After this, the Prime Minister dedicated the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to the nation in the inaugural ceremony held.

In the program, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, while throwing light on the features of the project, said that -

* Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is a modern access-controlled corridor of about 210+ kilometres.

* This will reduce the travel time from Delhi to Dehradun from about 6 hours to about 2.5 hours.

* The estimated cost of the project is more than Rs 12,000 crore.

* It is a six-lane state-of-the-art expressway, which can be expanded to eight lanes in the future.

* The route includes one of the longest elevated wildlife corridors in Asia.

* Animal crossings, noise barriers and green technology have been used in the project keeping in mind environmental protection.

* This corridor will provide faster connectivity to Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

* This will benefit tourist destinations like Dehradun, Mussoorie, Rishikesh and Chardham Yatra routes.

* Industry, agriculture, transport and logistics will get a new impetus.

Following this, in his address, the Prime Minister spoke about providing more opportunities to women and daughters in the 2029 elections, and described connectivity as a key pillar for the country's all-round development. He said that the coordinated development of roads, highways, airways, railways, and waterways will play a crucial role in making India a developed nation.

Describing it as a historic moment in the development of Uttarakhand, Shri Ajay Tamta said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, unprecedented infrastructure is being developed in the state and in the coming times, the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway will prove to be a game changer for the economy of the state.

He said that this project will -

* Tourism in Uttarakhand will reach new heights.

* Access to mountainous areas will be easier.

* Employment opportunities for youth will increase.

* Industry and investment will get a boost.

* Access to disaster management and emergency services will be faster.

Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Union Road Transport Minister, he said that the central government continues to prioritize Uttarakhand. He said that the Chardham road project, rail projects, air connectivity, and expressway network are jointly ushering Uttarakhand into a new era of development.

Finally, while congratulating the people of the state for this historic achievement, Shri Tamta said that this project will strengthen the resolve of "Developed Uttarakhand - Developed India" and will play an important role in changing the picture of the state in the coming years.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.