Cabinet Approves ₹14,448 Crore Ganga Corridor
Six-lane elevated corridor to cut Varanasi travel time, boost connectivity and ease city congestion
- Cabinet approves ₹14,447.64 crore Ganga Elevated Corridor in Varanasi.
- Six-lane project to connect NH-19 with Varanasi Ring Road.
- Travel time across the city to reduce from 60 minutes to 20 minutes.
- Corridor to improve access to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, BHU and major transport hubs.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th July: The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of the ₹14,447.64 crore Ganga Elevated Corridor in Varanasi, a major infrastructure project aimed at decongesting the city and strengthening connectivity to key religious, educational and transport hubs.
The project, cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). It involves a 46.039-kilometre six-lane elevated corridor connecting National Highway-19 (NH-19) with the Varanasi Ring Road along the banks of the River Ganga.
Designed for speeds of 80–100 kmph, the corridor is expected to reduce average travel time across the project area from around 60 minutes to 20 minutes, while travel between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station will be cut from approximately 50 minutes to 25 minutes.
The project includes several landmark engineering features, such as a 910-metre cable-stayed bridge across the Ganga, a 1.32-kilometre extradosed Foot Over Bridge-cum-Major Bridge with travelators for pedestrians heading to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a Rail Over Bridge, service roads, ramps, loops, emergency parking bays and architectural lighting inspired by Varanasi’s cultural heritage.
Planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the corridor will improve multimodal connectivity by linking major transport hubs, including Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Kashi Railway Station, Banaras Railway Station, Varanasi City Railway Station, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, and Ramnagar Inland Waterways Port.
The project is also expected to enhance access to major landmarks such as Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort, and the Ghats of Varanasi, benefiting over 15 crore tourists and pilgrims who visit the city annually.
According to the government, the access-controlled corridor will reduce congestion on NH-19, the BHU-Ramnagar corridor and NH-35, improve road safety, lower vehicle operating costs and emissions, strengthen logistics efficiency, and support tourism and economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh.
