[c_trivedi]

Hello there,

I'll be driving to Dehradun from Gurgaon on 1st January with my wife and 1-year old son in a Polo Petrol. Has anyone driven on the Delhi - Raj Nagar Extension Elevated Road - Upper Ganga Canal Road - Muzaffarnagar - Deoband - Dehradun route recently? I want to know how the current road conditions are as last I drove on this route was in 2013 (I have taken the route through Karnal - Yamunanagar - Paonta Sahib ever since but want to revert to this one as this is shorter). I plan to take the same route while coming back.

I'll be travelling in the early morning. What will be helpful is advise/suggestion on avoiding specific unsafe stretches or bad roads.

Thanks in advance.

[h3mnzu]

Originally Posted by vinukm

Hello Friends,

...I was curious to know if we can do the Nag Tibba Trek in two days on 21 and 22 Dec..

...Is it right time to do the trek and any chance of seeing snow there?

As per weather radar, and the human radar that I am, it's an ongoing snowfall on Nag Tibba at this hour on Friday, the 13th December 2019.

Again as I can make out from a quick glance up the hills, raining steadily in Mussoorie and Dehradun (in-fact the trend is heavy rains across the sub himalayan belt) and by tomorrow evening, it shall be heavily snowed-in across entire upper Himalayas.

It'll be a little hail and snow in Dhanaulti, Mussoorie on morning of 14th December and good snowfall across Chakrata if we speak of this part of Uttarakhand.

Hopefully it will snow again before Christmas.

Those arriving to Mussoorie are advised to be well prepared for exceptional delays on Big Bend/ Dhanaulti Diversion and very long jams (single lane road due to snow) from Suwakholi right upto Dhanaulti diversion.

People may pack extra clothing and food, water. Clothing should cover all body parts including neck, head, fingers, forehead, jaw and each person should check if they can properly walk, without difficulty in their clothing. It's important to not ignore a winter-grade bottom layer, since we were always taught to shop around for jackets and mufflers! If clothing is improper, wear multiple layers with atleast 2 woolen layers for both top and bottom. Special concern with those requiring medication/elderly/with infants to carry all usual consumables because it'll be difficult to find your preferred brands or even suitable shops.

I would suggest not to refuel in Mussoorie since jams sometimes don't let you reach the only 3 petrol pumps. It's a good idea to refuel in Dehradun on Rajpur road (Universal Fuel Station or many nearest available) or at Mussoorie diversion in Dehradun (2 fuel stations near Max hospital since they tend to have winter grade fuel for this time of the season).

Ideal times to see snow are: Venture out around 4 am-Driving time 2-3 hours depending on roads-Reach at sunrise-Watch out for black ice-As fog clears-Sightsee upto 11 am-the town will wake up and tourists start rushing in- have lunch upto 1 pm-return by 2 pm in any case.

It's well known that any winter trip started after 2 pm will be futile because after 3 pm weather gets chilly, returning after 4 pm will end up in a long jam and you may be stuck upto 9-11 pm in areas where there's no streetlights.

You do have to keep your tank full for a winter trip (as you need to keep engine on for using the blower and to prevent engine damage). Keeping the engine running is recommended if not on winter grade engine oils. Also, driving in snow is pretty risky if never done before.

In India and specially in Himalayas, the slopes are harsh and roads not in proper alignment. When it snows, there are jams from noon to late night because all locals turn up and tourists get stranded too. To complete a trip between 4 am and 1 pm is the only way to enjoy the views and avoid the icy misadventures.

Important to have patience too. I won't suggest you to learn winter driving tips such as those available on YouTube etc. Tips are good only for wide stretches that are limited to some highway routes in himachal.

Just bring yourself and learn it firsthand, it's more fun. Also be mindful of any injury, or volunteering for helping others before your own safety and comfort.

It's important to conserve energy and use it where absolutely necessary.

[h3mnzu]

Originally Posted by c_trivedi

Hello there,

I'll be driving to Dehradun from Gurgaon on 1st January...

...Delhi - Raj Nagar Extension Elevated Road - Upper Ganga Canal Road - Muzaffarnagar - Deoband - Dehradun route...

I want to know how the current road conditions...

I'll be travelling in the early morning. What will be helpful is advise/suggestion on avoiding specific unsafe stretches or bad roads.

I Covered this same stretch about a fortnight ago. Since the Dehradun railway station is closed for re-laying of tracks, the entire passenger load is travelling by road!

Your choice to travel early morning is good as you'll avoid the mad new year rush. Even then, you'll have to avoid some reckless drunk driving and peop!e who have only 1 day off from work.

There are no bad stretches, only problem is to find a suitable stopover (Cheetal towards Dehradun is a tiny one compared to the Cheetal Grand on Meerut route). The eateries are limited in number and not all menu items are upto the mark.

Upper Ganga Canal Road is in good shape (only single lane).

Dasna/Meerut route has improved leaps and bounds, it's a toll route. Traffic will fall in line once people stick to lane driving there.

Upper Ganga Canal Road avoids the toll at the expense of a long fog-filled stretch and no signboards. Signboards help co-passengers to evaluate their journey time.

Before Mohand, there's a big toll gate being developed for Uttarakhand too. So I think it may be in operation around new year. After this, we may prefer Meerut route because wider roads are perhaps safer.

[c_trivedi]

Thanks for your reply, h3mnzu; it's very helpful.

Just need clarity on a few more things

Originally Posted by h3mnzu

Upper Ganga Canal Road avoids the toll at the expense of a long fog-filled stretch and no signboards. Signboards help co-passengers to evaluate their journey time.

Based on the research I've done on this road and considering the fact that I'll be driving with my family in the early morning hours - which may be foggy - I have now decided not to take this road.

Originally Posted by h3mnzu

Dasna/Meerut route has improved leaps and bounds, it's a toll route. Traffic will fall in line once people stick to lane driving there.

I will take the conventional route now, which is:
Muradnagar > Modinagar > Mohiuddinpur > Meerut bypass > Khatauli > Deoband > Gagalheri > Mohand > Dehradun

When you mention 'Dasna/Meerut route', do you refer to the route I mentioned above (up to Meerut bypass)?

Also, is the road between Chhutmalpur and Mohand finally in a driveable condition? Last I drove on it was in Feb2019 and it was HORRIBLE because of road-widening work!

Apologies for asking more questions; I just want to ensure that the drive is safe and comfortable for my family and someone who has done it recently is the best person to check with! Thanks again for your help

[h3mnzu]

Originally Posted by c_trivedi

considering the early morning hours - which may be foggy

Fog does happen this time of the year. Winters push the hot humid air into the plains, add a water body to it and crop fields, it's a perfect recipe for fog that changes moods every minute! And we are blessed with an early winter this year.

Do this, approach the Upper Ganga Canal Road upto Jani. At Jani you can evaluate fog/canal road suitability.

It's your call if you want to choose a usual/conventional route or a faster route, or longer route. Safety also depends upon our own driving habits and shortfalls (which we can only know from co-passengers).

I will take the conventional route now, which is:
Muradnagar > Modinagar > Mohiuddinpur > Meerut bypass > Khatauli > Deoband > Gagalheri > Mohand > Dehradun

Upper Ganga Canal Road is a straight stretch, many swear by it, even if foggy.

You can simply use Jani as the main bifurcation!

Everyone can simply decide at Jani if they want to continue with the canal, or take right at Jani towards 334a and use Meerut bypass for joining NH 334 at Modipuram. Meerut bypass and NH 334 are proper NH-quality routes now. They are mega projects that will eventually connect right upto Uttarakhand Char-Dham roads, hence some construction is always taking place on this route.

When you mention 'Dasna/Meerut route', do you refer to the route I mentioned above (up to Meerut bypass)?

A natural route for you is Raj Nagar Extension leading to Muradnagar. I mention Dasna since it's more approachable from any direction. Not applicable to your query, but those coming from other directions of Eastern Peripheral Expressway/Noida/Gr. Noida can better connect if Dasna is mentioned.

Also, is the road between Chhutmalpur and Mohand finally in a driveable condition?

Chhutmalpur-Mohand

Gagalheri-Chhutmalpur is a bit bad as in frequent diversions to wrong-side lane, but Fatehpur-Biharigarh is getting better.

Do take a short nap exactly at Biharigarh. Find some safe spot, there are no large Dhabas here, you have to stop at any suitable patch. Off season/winters force small tea stalls to stay shut so don't skip every spot as you pass by. Here onwards the road will become single lane, and immediately afterwards you reach Mohand. Even a small nap at Biharigarh will help immensely to continue the remaining part of the trip. Mohand is so crowded these days, it's very important to take a nap, be relaxed and stay in peak alertness during this final leg of the journey.


Allow me to also mention Muzaffarnagar-Chhutmalpur

There's more to worry if you want to be aware of all scenarios: Around new year, depending on conditions prevailing at that time, the traffic diversions happen. Sometimes vehicles are re-routed after Muzaffarnagar to either Deoband or Roorkee! It has happened in the past. I do not mean to discourage anyone, but a prepared mind is better equipped to switch routes on the fly, if situation demands.

Weather Update: It's snowing like crazy across the hills and it's a sudden drop in temperature this December 2019. Do check the batteries, if older than 4 years. If someone is planning to drive in the hills for more than 5 days, they must consider switching to a thicker engine oil or a semi-synth winter grade oil. Every car has atleast 2 grades of oil mentioned in the service booklet. Stick to the SAE specifications, especially newer cars/automatics. Winter tyres with studs are not recommend, we don't have such roads! Studs need miles and miles of roads of the same type. Winter tyres are okay for vehicles which already have availability of those tyres, i think for passenger cars, the options are limited and unreliable. SUV's, I see most of them do switch to simple winter tyres/all weather off roaders for safety and long stays.

These days anyone can google/youtube/search for winter driving videos and winterizing vehicles. It's more of a need to know basis, than to actually adopt the methods! Yes, any modern well maintained car will do well in moderate hills. If you have a snow chain, and know exactly where to use it, you're better prepared to drive into snow. If not, just drive upto where snow is visible, park away from snow stretches and walk rest of the way to enjoy your time. Do not rely on ropes and plastic parts, you'll hurt yourself, get wet and probably be in no mood to pursue further. The DIY snow driving tips look good only on edited videos, in reality, they are only the exception, not a norm or rule.

[c_trivedi]

Thanks h3mnzu.

In light of the current protests taking place across the country, is anyone aware of anything that may affect my journey from Delhi to Dehradun along the route I mentioned above? It seems there were a few violent protests in Muzaffarnagar last week but I don't know if those spilled over to the highway/bypass and affected normal traffic flow. If you know or have heard of any major incidents then please let me know so I can plan (or possibly cancel) my forthcoming trip accordingly.

[breezydrive]

Originally Posted by c_trivedi

Thanks h3mnzu.

In light of the current protests taking place across the country, is anyone aware of anything that may affect my journey from Delhi to Dehradun along the route I mentioned above? It seems there were a few violent protests in Muzaffarnagar last week but I don't know if those spilled over to the highway/bypass and affected normal traffic flow. If you know or have heard of any major incidents then please let me know so I can plan (or possibly cancel) my forthcoming trip accordingly.

It would be better to take Panipat - Yamunanagar- Paonta Sahib route. A bit longer but quite safe as compared to UP.

[anantpoddar]

Went from Delhi to Uttarkashi through this stretch during the Holi weekend when rains were lashing all the way from NCR till Mussorie:

The entire route was like a driver's paradise, save for a small stretch (<2km) around Deoband.

Took the Upper Ganga Canal route while going up. It has jerky speed bumps every few kms and most of the people come at you with their high beams on an undivided single road.
Took the Meerut Bypass while returning and it is in very good shape now. Would recommend taking this.
The return journey was done at night and had no issues whatsoever. There are several company operated fuel pumps along this route. Only one fastag enabled toll booth is there near Meerut Bypass, the other two are cash collection only.

After crossing Mussourie, traveled till Suwakholi and took a left for Mussourie-Uttarkashi Road. This road goes through small hamlets along the edge of the hills, is in good shape, and has negligible traffic; overall - good for roadtrips
Return journey was during dusk/night and pretty secure. A pair of foxes were running in front of my vehicle for 100m or so. There is a fuel pump a few kilometers after Suwakholi

Once you cross this road and merge on to NH34 before Dharasu is where the nightmare begins. The entire stretch on NH34 till Uttarkashi is under construction and filled with potholes, mud and slush. This stretch should be strictly covered during daylight. Fuel pumps are there in towns but they did not seem reliable.

Attaching a few images of the Mussourie-Uttarkashi Road below

[Aniket Verma]

Hi,

I planned a quick Ghaziabad - Dehradun trip between Dec 31, 2020 and Jan 04, 2021. I am sharing update from Vasundhra (GZB)

Some quick route updates:

Onward Journey

There are two traditional routes:

1) Via Meerut Bypass
2) Along Upper Ganga Canal after Muradnagar

Due to parents and fog, I had decided to take the Meerut Bypass route

Section Update: Vasundhara - Meerut Bypass

Took Hindon Elevated Road and then joined NH 58 at Raj Nagar Extension - Manageable roads but high traffic density due to ongoing Delhi-Meerut RRTS works.

Can face traffic bottleneck due to construction work at the beginning of the bypass.

Meerut Bypass - Muzaffarnagar Bypass

Excellent 6 lane highway, Diversion at 5 places from beginning of Bypass till Khatauli due constructions of over bridge along highway.

Modipuram - Muzaffarnagar

This stretch has multiple options for refreshments, better ones are: Cheetal, Midway & Devrana.

Tolls : Rs 85 at Sivaya toll booth after Modipuram, Fastag enabled

Muzaffarnagr Bypass - Dehradun

Excellent 6 lane roads till Biharigarh

3 Tolls : First two on Saharanpur Road at Rohana & Kolki respectively, Common toll of Rs 135, not Fastag enabled

3rd toll booth is at Sayaad Mazra for Rs 40, Fastag enabled

Return Journey & a new discovery

Took the same route till Meerut, but Google was showing 58 mins delay at Modinagar & ETA of 8.10 PM, hence decided to try Meerut - Hapur route (had done this in late 2000s). This route takes you through Meerut city & connects to Modipuram to Hapur Road via Cantt.

Excellent 6 lane Expressway till Ghaziabad, though approx. 25 km longer, managed to reach destination by 7.05 PM. One diversion before Hapur due to construction of an Over bridge, expected to ne completed by March.

Tolls : Rs 125 at Chhajarsi after Pilkhuwa

This Expressway can completely save from Muradnagar / Modinagar nightmare, only drawback is 6 KM of travel across Meerut city.

Now fingers crossed for dedicated Delhi - Saharanpur - Dehradun

GMaps:

DDN - Meerut - Hapur - Gzb


Meerut - Hapur - Ghazibad - Expressway

[h3mnzu]

A quick update on fresh tarmac beyond and besides Mussoorie:

Visitors to Mussoorie and Dhanaulti can now take an excursion to experience freshly minted roads of Narendranagar.

One caveat here is to approach Narendranagar via Rishikesh and not Dhanaulti (because of snow, slush and black ice causing major traffic hurdles at Suwakholi if we try to go to Narendranagar from Mussoorie).

The dual lane road has been made all weather and the route is Rishikesh-Narendranagar- Chamba. It is a short getaway for petrolheads, easily done in 8 hours to and fro, unless you plan to stay.

As the all weather road project is still going on from Rishikesh, it is not advisable to take Rishikesh-Devprayag yet (As I had also been to Devprayag, night driving all the way amidst low traffic but faced extremely frequent disruptions from ongoing hill-cutting work).

So Narendranagar is going to be a quick getaway till the next season, I guess.

[dgoyle]

Any updates on the road condition between the end of Muradabad bypass - Roorkee -Dehradun? Have the road widening and culvert bridges been completed in the above section?

[Tarrodie]

Thought of putting down a new find that took me only about 1 hour from Meerut to Noida. Hopefully, this helps those driving on the Delhi- Dehradun- Mussoorie route, as I have also described towards the end of the post.

I had to drive down to Grand Toyota situated at Beral just outside Meerut a few days ago. It took me an excruciating 4-hour drive with non-stop traffic jams that started after I exit Delhi. Reasons were Delhi-Meerut Rapid Metro construction, dug up roads, virtually a single-lane road on most of the route and very, very heavy traffic.

The folks at Grand Toyota told me that the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, though not officially open, is being used by people since it was ready. So on the return journey, I entered the expressway near Grand Toyota(took a U-turn about 500m from the workshop since it is on the opposite side), and started driving towards Delhi.

I saw a few vehicles already using the expressway when I entered and it seemed ready for driving. But at certain sections people were using the same lane for both directions. This could be due to people entering the exit roads at different points and then driving in the wrong direction to avoid going to the next U-turn and then coming back. Hence there is a need to be careful, and it is best to drive on the left side of the road since all traffic is at high speeds, and a head-on collision could be fatal.

Driving at 100+ speeds for about 40 minutes I made it to a point where there was a barricade ahead, and cars were exiting through a break in the wall on the left side. There was a steep, narrow slope that went down and led to a "kuchha" road below, going through a village area for about 1 km. On enquiring, I got to know that this was Dasna, a suburb of Ghaziabad.

I took directions from some people when I reached the main road. Thereon I decided to follow Google Maps and reached Noida, in total a little over an hour after I left Meerut. Hence, I was able to avoid the traffic jams and mess that I encountered on my way to Meerut, and also saved a few hours.

This was a few days ago. So anyone driving on the Delhi-Dehradun route in future can definitely use the section that I used, and also check on whether additional sections of the highway are being used.

For example, at the point where there was a barricade, on looking ahead I could see that the highway was ready but they had put the barricade since probably for some reason they do not want people to use the section ahead. This could change any time and when the barricade is removed, people will start using more sections of the expressway.

People have started using highways as soon as they are ready without waiting for an "inauguration" or even for it to be completed end-to-end, as observed in this case(Meerut-Dasna) on the Delhi-Dehradun route. Which is good, because it saves a lot of time and effort for people, most of whom pay taxes that finance such projects. Where the authorities felt that the highway is not 100% ready or should not be used, they had put a barricade anyway.

I also found a drone footage uploaded in Feb '21 of a section of the expressway on what seems like an official YouTube channel. There might be updates on the same channel going ahead that could also help.

https://youtu.be/YizKCcqE5Dk

[nitishk]

Hi guys,

Planning to drive Delhi- Dehradun around Mid Feb 2022.

Just 2 questions ?

1) Is it usually foggy ?

2) Any updates on the expressway. I reckon a large part of it would be usable now ?

[Aniket Verma]

Originally Posted by nitishk

Hi guys,

Planning to drive Delhi- Dehradun around Mid Feb 2022.

Just 2 questions ?

1) Is it usually foggy ?

2) Any updates on the expressway. I reckon a large part of it would be usable now ?

Just came back from Dehradun yesterday, so here are quick updates:

Route taken:

Indirapuram - Meerut Expressway - Meerut Bypass - Muzaffarnagar Bypass - Deoband - Saharanpur Bypass - Dehradun

Time:
Onwards: Start time 6.30 am - Journey time 4.30 hrs with heavy fog
Return: Start time 6.30 am - Journey time under 4.00 hrs with no fog

1) Expressway is now complete all the way up to Biharigarh with minimum 4 lanes width.

2) Roads are excellent with all the Overbridges are now complete.

3) Delhi - Meerut expressway is toll free for now, Modi puran toll (After Meerut Bypass) is still poorly managed.

4) Deoband stretch is a SH and does not accept Fastag yet. Toll is Rs 140 and same ticket is accepted at both tolls on this route.


Very heavy fog can expected along Meerut expressway & Deoband stretch.

P.S. : route via Roorkee bypass & Bhagwanpur is also complete and is preferred by Cabs for low toll & less fog.

[ach1lles]

Hi guys. Will be leaving tomorrow morning for Tehri from Delhi. Google maps shows Noida - Meerut - Muzaffarnagar - Roorkee - Rishikesh - Tehri route. Is this good to go? Any precautions or things we should be aware of? Any good stopover points for breakfast and lunch along the way? Planning to leave at 0600.

Edit: any other must see places nearby? We’d be there for a couple of days.

Update (4 January 2021) - The google suggested route was followed and worked well for the onward and return journeys.