Delhi-NCR to Nainital Travel Time Set to Fall by Three Hours with New Expressway

Bareilly–Haldwani Greenfield Expressway

A newly proposed greenfield expressway between Bareilly and Haldwani is poised to transform road connectivity between Delhi-NCR and Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region, significantly accelerating access to hill destinations.

The planned 100-kilometre, four-lane controlled-access corridor is expected to cut travel time to the Uttarakhand foothills by more than three hours, offering particular advantages to travellers from Gurugram, Delhi and neighbouring northern states.

According to reports, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has approved the project and commenced construction following completion of preliminary surveys. Unlike conventional widening schemes, the expressway will be built along an entirely new alignment rather than by expanding existing roads. This greenfield approach is intended to reduce congestion and provide a higher-speed, uninterrupted travel corridor with minimal interaction with local traffic.

The expressway will directly connect Bareilly and Haldwani while bypassing several traffic-heavy stretches, including Rudrapur, Kichha, Lalkuan, Pantnagar and Baheri.

The project will also integrate with NH-30 and NH-24 in Bareilly, strengthening road connectivity between the national highway network and Uttarakhand’s gateway towns.

The new corridor is expected to particularly benefit leisure travellers heading towards destinations such as Nainital, Bhimtal, Ranikhet and Almora.

Industry observers believe the expressway could further support tourism and regional economic activity by improving accessibility to Uttarakhand’s hill regions while easing long-standing traffic bottlenecks along one of North India’s busiest travel routes.

Construction work on the project has reportedly commenced, positioning the expressway as a major infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening connectivity between North India and the Kumaon hills.