New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Tuesday approved two major elevated corridor projects worth Rs. 25,445.96 crore for Varanasi, aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving multimodal connectivity, and significantly reducing travel time.
The two projects will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) as part of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking after the Cabinet briefing, said the projects will deliver substantial benefits for residents while boosting tourism.
“There will be a big change in people’s lives. There will be a new wave of happiness among the residents of Kashi. The traffic flow of the city will be transformed,” Vaishnaw said.
The first project, approved at a total capital cost of Rs. 14,447.64 crore, involves the construction of a 46-kilometer, six-lane Greenfield elevated corridor connecting National Highway 19 with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Ganges River.
The corridor is expected to reduce average travel time across the project area from about 60 minutes to 20 minutes, while travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station will be cut from approximately 50 minutes to 25 minutes.
The project will also improve connectivity to major transportation hubs, including Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Kashi Railway Station, and Ramnagar Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Port. It will also provide easier access to key religious and cultural landmarks, including Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, and the Varanasi ghats.
The corridor will feature a 910-meter cable-stayed bridge across the Ganges and a 1.32-kilometer extradosed foot-over bridge and major bridge equipped with travelators.
The Cabinet also approved a 43.22-kilometer elevated corridor along the Varuna River at a total cost of Rs. 10,998.32 crore.
The six- and four-lane project is expected to reduce travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from about 40 minutes to 20 minutes while improving connectivity to the Varanasi Ring Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Kashi Railway Station, Varanasi City Railway Station, Varanasi Junction, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Ramnagar Port, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, the Varanasi ghats, and the neighboring Chandauli district.
Both projects are aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and are expected to strengthen connectivity to one economic node, one social node, and six major logistics hubs.
According to the government, the projects will improve logistics efficiency, facilitate tourism and pilgrimage, support passenger and freight movement, reduce vehicle operating costs and emissions, and contribute to sustainable economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)
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