NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved two highway projects to further strengthen infrastructure in Varanasi (Kashi) by constructing a 43.2-km, predominantly 6/4-lane elevated corridor along the Varuna riverbank and a 46.04-km, predominantly six-lane elevated corridor connecting NH-19 with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Ganga riverbank.Ashwini Vaishnaw began the briefing with a playful “Khai Ke Paan Banaras Waala” remark before detailing the Cabinet’s approval for the Varuna river corridor project.“If we look at Banaras (Kashi) today, around 15 crore tourists visit Kashi every year. It is a very large number, and it is growing rapidly because the Prime Minister has instilled a renewed sense of pride in India’s heritage,” Vaishnaw said. “A great deal of infrastructure development has already taken place in Kashi. Today, two major approvals have been granted to take infrastructure development to the next level.“The project will be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and will connect NH-31 with the Varanasi Ring Road through a predominantly elevated corridor comprising flyovers, ramps, loops, service roads and the main carriageway.Describing it as the “Varuna Expressway”, Vaishnaw said the new corridor would significantly improve connectivity and decongest the city.According to the government, the corridor is a key component of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan and will provide seamless access to Kashi Railway Station, the Varanasi Ring Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi Junction, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Ramnagar Port, the city’s ghats and the adjoining Chandauli region.Designed for an operating speed of 80-100 kmph, the project is expected to cut travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from around 40 minutes to 20 minutes, while improving road safety, reducing vehicle operating costs and facilitating faster movement of passenger and freight traffic.The government said the corridor will also improve access to key economic and logistics hubs in eastern Uttar Pradesh, strengthen multimodal connectivity under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, and support tourism and regional economic growth.The CCEA also approved a Rs 14,447.64-crore project to develop a 46.04-km, predominantly six-lane elevated corridor connecting National Highway-19 with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Ganga riverbank, aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity across the city.The project, to be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), will comprise an elevated main carriageway, an iconic cable-stayed bridge, an extradosed foot-over bridge-cum-major bridge, loops, ramps, link roads and service roads.According to the government, the corridor will provide seamless connectivity between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road while significantly decongesting the city’s road network and improving urban mobility. It is expected to reduce average travel time across the project area from around 60 minutes to 20 minutes, while cutting travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station from approximately 50 minutes to 25 minutes.The government said the corridor will strengthen multimodal connectivity under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan by improving access to major highways, railway stations, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport and the Ramnagar Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Port. It will also enhance connectivity to key religious and cultural landmarks, including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort and the Ghats of Varanasi.According to the government, the project is expected to improve logistics efficiency, enhance road safety, facilitate tourism and pilgrimage, and support economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh.
