Cabinet clears mega plan to ease traffic congestion in PM Modi’s segment Varanasi
The project, at a cost of Rs 10,998.32 crore, will connect National Highway-31 (NH-31) with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna river, cutting travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station by nearly half
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the construction of a 43.218-km elevated link corridor in Varanasi aimed at easing traffic congestion and significantly improving connectivity across the city. The project, at a cost of Rs 10,998.32 crore, will connect National Highway-31 (NH-31) with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna river, cutting travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station by nearly half while strengthening regional transport and logistics infrastructure.
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the project, which will be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The total project cost includes Rs 4,565.33 crore towards civil construction and Rs 934.91 crore for land acquisition.
The corridor will comprise a predominantly six/four-lane elevated highway with a network of main carriageways, flyovers, loops, ramps and service roads. It forms a key component of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan, designed to provide seamless connectivity between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station while improving access 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 city's iconic ghats and the adjoining Chandauli region.
Designed for an operating speed of 80-100 kmph, the corridor is expected to reduce travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from around 40 minutes to 20 minutes. Besides easing congestion on the city's roads, the project is expected to improve road safety, lower vehicle operating costs and enable faster, uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight traffic.
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. It will facilitate efficient movement of agricultural produce, industrial goods, construction materials and minerals, improving logistics efficiency and supporting sustainable economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The new access-controlled urban transport corridor is expected to boost tourism, facilitate economic development, improve logistics efficiency and enhance the overall quality of life for residents and visitors to Varanasi.
