Cabinet clears ₹25,400-crore highway projects to decongest Varanasi

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved two major highway connector projects worth over ₹25,400 crore to ease traffic congestion in Varanasi and improve connectivity to the city’s ring road.

The projects, to be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), include a 43.218-km corridor linking NH-31 with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna River at a total capital cost of ₹10,998.32 crore and a 46.039-km corridor connecting NH-19 with the ring road along the Ganga River at a cost of ₹14,447.64 crore.

The NH-19 project will feature a six-lane elevated carriageway, a cable-stayed bridge, an extradosed foot over bridge-cum-major bridge, loops, ramps, link roads and service roads. The NH-31 corridor will comprise a predominantly elevated four- and six-lane carriageway with flyovers, loops, ramps and service roads.

Designed for operating speeds of 80-100 kmph, the projects are expected to significantly reduce travel times across the city. The NH-19 corridor will cut travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station from around 50 minutes to 25 minutes, while the NH-31 project will halve the journey between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from 40 minutes to 20 minutes.

The government said the corridors, part of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan and aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, will improve connectivity to Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Ramnagar IWAI Port, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University, Namo Ghat and other major destinations.

The projects are also expected to improve logistics efficiency, facilitate tourism and pilgrimage, and support economic growth in eastern Uttar Pradesh.