New Delhi, 15 July (H.S.): The Central Government on Wednesday approved the construction of a 46.039-kilometre, six-lane Greenfield Ganga Elevated Corridor in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, at an estimated cost of Rs 14,447.64 crore.

The project received approval at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The corridor, which will connect National Highway-19 (NH-19) with the Varanasi Ring Road, will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) with the objective of easing traffic congestion in the city, enhancing connectivity along the Ganga riverfront, and promoting religious tourism.

Announcing the Cabinet decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Varanasi receives more than 150 million pilgrims and tourists every year. In view of the city's increasing traffic and transport demands, the government has approved this ambitious project to significantly upgrade its urban transport infrastructure.

He said the project includes the construction of a six-lane elevated main carriageway, a 910-metre cable-stayed bridge, a 1.32-kilometre extradosed foot overbridge-cum-major bridge, loops, ramps, link roads and service roads. Of the total project cost, Rs 6,037.85 crore will be spent on construction works, while Rs 541.11 crore has been earmarked for land acquisition.

The corridor will provide seamless connectivity between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road, substantially reducing traffic congestion across the city's road network. Designed for speeds of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour, the corridor will reduce average travel time within the project area from 60 minutes to 20 minutes. Travel time from NH-19 to Kashi Railway Station is also expected to come down from 50 minutes to around 25 minutes.

The project has been planned in accordance with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and will strengthen Varanasi's multimodal transport network. It will improve connectivity between NH-19, the Varanasi Ring Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Kashi Railway Station, Banaras Railway Station, Varanasi City Railway Station, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction and the Ramnagar Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Port.

The corridor will also provide easier access to major religious, educational and tourist destinations, including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort and the ghats of Varanasi. In addition, the proposed elevated spur between BHU-Lanka and Samne Ghat will help reduce heavy traffic congestion at the Lanka intersection while easing traffic pressure on NH-19, the BHU-Ramnagar Corridor and NH-35.

Among the project's key features are a 910-metre cable-stayed bridge across the Ganga River, a 1.32-kilometre extradosed foot overbridge equipped with travelators to facilitate convenient access for pilgrims visiting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a rail overbridge above the existing and proposed Malviya Bridge, emergency parking bays, noise barriers, aesthetic lighting, and architectural elements inspired by the cultural heritage of Varanasi.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar