Barely two months after its inauguration, the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway has come under scrutiny after massive potholes and sections resembling road cave-ins appeared following the season’s first spell of monsoon rainfall. Videos and photographs of the damaged stretches have gone viral on social media, showing motorists navigating around deep potholes while bystanders warn approaching vehicles of the dangerous conditions. In some cases, commuters have claimed that their vehicles suffered damage after hitting the potholes, with one motorist alleging that the alloy wheel of their car was bent. The exact extent of the damage has not yet been officially confirmed by authorities.

The 210-kilometre, six-lane Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, constructed at a cost exceeding Rs 12,000 crore, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14, 2026. The expressway was designed to significantly improve connectivity between Delhi and Dehradun by reducing travel time from nearly five hours to approximately two-and-a-half hours. Passing through Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the project includes major infrastructure features such as a 12-kilometre elevated wildlife corridor over Rajaji National Park and a tunnel near the Datkali temple. The corridor was promoted as a landmark infrastructure project aimed at reducing travel costs, improving freight movement, and minimizing human-wildlife conflict in the region.

The emergence of potholes so soon after the expressway’s inauguration has triggered political controversy, with the Congress party accusing the government of corruption and irregularities in the construction process. In a post on social media platform X, the party alleged that the rapid deterioration of the newly built expressway reflected widespread corruption and misuse of public funds, while also citing other instances of failing infrastructure across the country. Despite the growing criticism and public concern, neither the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) nor the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued an official statement addressing the complaints or clarifying the reasons behind the reported damage.