Speed ​​and life too: Asia’s largest ‘Wildlife Corridor’ ready on Delhi-Dehradun Expressway

We often hear that nature is sacrificed in the path of progress. When roads are built, forests are cut down and dumb animals get hit by vehicles. But such a highway is being built in India, which has set a new example of balancing development and environment in front of the whole world. We are talking about Delhi-Dehradun Expressway. The most special thing about this highway is not its speed, it is the longest Wildlife Corridor in Asia. This project proves that if the intentions are clear, jungle and concrete can co-exist.Cars above, elephants below: What is this corridor? Just imagine, you are speeding in your car and just below your tyres, in the shadow of the bridge, elephants, tigers and leopards are happily strolling in their natural home. It sounds like a scene from a movie, but it has become a reality in Uttarakhand’s Rajaji National Park. NHAI has built about 12 to 14 kilometer long elevated corridor (road supported on pillars) here under the Bharatmala project. The objective is clear – humans should get access, but animals should not get in the way. Since more than 400 elephants and dozens of tigers live in Rajaji Park, it was necessary to protect them from accidents while crossing the road. Amazing technology has been used in making this ‘engineering’ corridor that does not disturb the animals: Consideration of peace: Special types of ‘sound barriers’ have been installed to ensure that the animals do not face any problem due to the noise of the vehicles. Yellow light: At night. Only yellow lights have been used here to ensure that the lights of the vehicles do not hit the eyes of the animals and their sleep is not disturbed. 6 meter high road: Considering the height of the elephants, the underpass has been kept more than 6 meters high so that they can walk with their heads raised and walk gracefully. Delhi to Dehradun: Now not 6 hours, only 2.5 hours! Not only for the animals, this expressway is no less than a boon for the travelers like us. Where earlier it used to take 6-7 hours to reach Dehradun from Akshardham in Delhi, now this journey will be reduced to just 2.5 hours. You will get a width of 6 to 12 lanes on this approximately 210 kilometer long highway. Its first phase (Delhi-Baghpat) is ready for trials, and the whole picture will be clear by February 2026 when it will be fully opened for the public. Why is this project special? Total cost: Rs 13,000 crore. Facilities: Food and rest areas (food courts and rest areas) every 25 kilometers. Tunnel: 340 meter long tunnel near Datkali temple, which leads to Small animals of the mountains should also get access. Overall, this corridor is a hope. The hope is that we can take the path of forests for our convenience, but without rendering the real owners of those forests (animals) homeless. The cameras of the Wildlife Institute have shown that the elephants have also started adopting this new route, which is the biggest success.