The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the development of a 43.218-kilometre link connecting NH-31 and the Varanasi Ring Road along the River Varuna to decongest Varanasi city in Uttar Pradesh.
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The project comprises a 6/4-lane predominantly elevated corridor, including the main carriageway, flyovers, loops, ramps, and service roads, and will be implemented by the NHAI under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 10,998.32 crore, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed.
According to an official statement, the corridor is a major component of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan and will provide seamless connectivity between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station, while substantially improving access to Varanasi Ring Road, Varanasi Airport, Kashi Railway Station, Varanasi City Railway Station, Varanasi Junction, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Ramnagar Port, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, the ghats of Varanasi and the adjoining Chandauli region.
The statement said that the project, designed for an operating speed of 80-100 km/h, will reduce travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from approximately 40 minutes to 20 minutes, representing a reduction of nearly 50 per cent.
It will significantly decongest the city’s road network, improve road safety, reduce vehicle operating costs and facilitate faster, uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight traffic, the statement added.Also Read: Cabinet approves India Semiconductor Mission 2.0; earmarks Rs 1.27 lakh crore for the project
The project will also strengthen regional connectivity by improving access to one Economic Node (Chandauli Social Economic Zone), one Social Node (Chandauli) and six major Logistics Nodes, thereby enhancing multimodal integration in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
The CCEA also approved the development of a corridor between National Highway-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road with riverbank connectivity along the River Ganga for the decongestion of Varanasi city, the minister said while briefing the media about the various Cabinet decisions.
The 46.039-km project, comprising a six-lane elevated main carriageway, an iconic cable-stayed bridge, an extradosed foot-over bridge-cum-major bridge, loops, ramps, link roads and service roads, will be implemented under HAM at a total capital cost of Rs 14,447.64 crore.
According to a separate official statement, the project will provide seamless connectivity between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road, significantly decongesting the city’s road network and improving urban mobility.
It is expected to reduce the average travel time across the project influence area from approximately 60 minutes to 20 minutes, representing a reduction of nearly 67 per cent.
The statement said travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station will be reduced from approximately 50 minutes to about 25 minutes, resulting in a saving of about 25 minutes (nearly 50 per cent).
Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the statement said, the corridor will strengthen multimodal connectivity by providing seamless access to major highways, railway stations, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport and Ramnagar IWAI Port, while significantly improving connectivity to key religious, educational and cultural landmarks, including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort and the Ghats of Varanasi.
By linking important economic, social and logistics nodes, the project will improve logistics efficiency, enhance road safety, facilitate tourism and pilgrimage, and support sustainable regional economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh, it added.