The Rajaji Wildlife Corridor Above the Expressway: What It Means for Dehradun’s Elephants and Leopards

The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway includes a 12 km elevated wildlife corridor over Rajaji National Park, the longest such structure in Asia. The corridor allows elephants, leopards, and other animals to cross under the expressway without interacting with traffic. For Dehradun, which sits on the edge of Rajaji’s range, this infrastructure decision has direct consequences for how wildlife moves in and around the city’s forest boundaries over the next decade.

Rajaji National Park: What Lives There

How the Elevated Corridor Works

The 12 km elevated section runs at 8 metres above ground level through the core of Rajaji’s Dehradun-Haridwar range. Noise barriers line both sides of the elevated deck to reduce vehicle sound penetration into the forest. The road surface uses low-luminosity lighting to avoid disturbing nocturnal animals. Below the elevated structure, the natural forest floor is maintained without clearance, allowing animals to walk beneath the expressway freely.

Drainage from the elevated section is diverted away from the forest floor to prevent contamination of streams that elephants use. The median strip on the elevated section has been planted with native species to create a partial habitat bridge for smaller animals and birds.

Is the Corridor Enough?

The Rajaji-Corbett elephant corridor, which this expressway crosses, has been documented as one of the most critical wildlife movement routes in northern India. The old NH58 already fragmented this corridor, with regular elephant road deaths recorded annually. The elevated section removes a significant barrier at the key crossing point.

However, wildlife biologists point out that infrastructure alone does not guarantee corridor use. Elephants are cautious animals with long memory. Whether they adopt the space beneath the elevated section for regular crossing depends on disturbance levels during and after construction, the quality of vegetation maintenance below the deck, and whether local communities near Rajaji’s fringe continue to encroach on the approach routes. The Wildlife Institute of India, based in Dehradun, has been involved in monitoring the corridor design and will assess movement data over the first two to three years of operation.

What This Means for Dehradun Residents Near the Forest Edge

Dehradun’s eastern and southern neighbourhoods, including areas along Haridwar Road and Doiwala, border Rajaji’s range. Elephant sightings in these areas are not rare. If the corridor functions as designed and elephant movement becomes more predictable through the designated route, it could reduce the frequency of human-elephant conflict incidents near the city. This is the practical outcome that matters most for residents living adjacent to the forest boundary.

For more on Rajaji National Park from Dehradun, including safari entry and booking information, see our Dehradun outdoor activities guide.