NHAI will develop a ₹10,998-crore elevated corridor along the Varuna River to ease congestion in Varanasi.
The Union Cabinet has approved the ₹10,998-crore, 43.218-km Varuna Elevated Corridor, set to become a key component of Varanasi’s future transport network. The project, to be developed by the National Highways Authority of India under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, will connect NH-31 with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna River, providing an alternative high-capacity route through the city to help ease congestion on existing urban roads.
The predominantly elevated 6/4-lane corridor will comprise the main carriageway, flyovers, loops, ramps and service roads, along with an iconic cable-stayed bridge and an extradosed foot over bridge-cum-major bridge. The corridor forms part of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan, designed to improve movement between major highways, railway stations, the airport and important urban destinations. It will provide a direct link between NH-31 and the Varanasi Ring Road, improving access to Varanasi Airport, Varanasi Cantonment, Varanasi City Railway Station, Kashi Railway Station, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction and Ramnagar Port.
Designed for speeds of 80 to 100 kmph, the corridor is expected to reduce travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from about 40 minutes to nearly 20 minutes, while journey time between Varanasi Junction and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport is projected to fall from nearly an hour to around 20 minutes. The corridor is also expected to ease congestion at major points including Varanasi Junction, Phulwaria and Chaukaghat.
The improved infrastructure is expected to facilitate access to major religious and tourism destinations, including the ghats, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and to help manage traffic during major festivals and peak pilgrimage periods. It will also improve connectivity to educational institutions such as Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.
Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the corridor is expected to strengthen Varanasi’s role as a regional logistics and economic hub by improving access to the Chandauli Socio-Economic Zone, the Chandauli Social Node and six major logistics nodes, supporting the movement of agricultural produce, industrial goods, construction materials and minerals across Varanasi, Chandauli and adjoining regions.
The project includes ₹4,565.33 crore allocated for civil construction and ₹934.91 crore for land acquisition.
Source: Press Information Bureau
