Cabinet Approves Rs 25,000 Crore Elevated Corridor Projects for Varanasi

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved two elevated road projects – the Ganga Corridor and the Varuna Corridor – with a combined investment of nearly Rs 25,000 crore. The projects aim to improve mobility in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and are expected to boost tourism and urban development in the historic city.

The larger project, the Ganga Elevated Corridor, is a 46-km six-lane expressway connecting NH-19 to the Varanasi Ring Road along the Ganga riverfront. Designed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the corridor is intended to reduce congestion on the city's roads while minimising impact on existing habitations. Officials project that the expressway will raise average travel speeds to nearly 100 km per hour, cutting travel time on the route from about 60 minutes to 20 minutes.

Beyond transport, NHAI has positioned the Ganga Corridor as a riverfront infrastructure and tourism project. The alignment includes a cable-stayed bridge that could become a new landmark, along with dedicated viewpoints and visitor spaces overlooking the Ganga and its ghats. The project covers villages including Samne, Domri, Sirgovardhanpur, and others; land transactions in these villages have been halted.

The Cabinet also approved the Varuna Corridor, a 43.2-km elevated link connecting NH-31 to the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna river, with an estimated cost of Rs 11,000 crore. The project includes flyovers, ramps, loops, and link roads. A key component is a 21-km elevated stretch from near Harahua to the confluence of the Varuna and Ganga near Namo Ghat. This four-lane corridor will allow travellers from Lucknow, Jaunpur, and Prayagraj to reach Namo Ghat directly without entering the city centre. From there, pilgrims can take boats to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Part of the alignment requires about 2.56 acres of land under the Cantonment Board, for which the Ministry of Defence's approval was obtained.

The Varuna Corridor alignment passes through villages including Kuduhana, Rustampur, Parshurampur, and others in Sadar tehsil.

The projects come at a time when Varanasi attracts nearly 15 crore tourists and pilgrims annually, putting pressure on its transport infrastructure.

Aman Gupta, Director of RPS Group, described the projects as a new model of integrated urban development. 'The Ganga and Varuna Corridor Projects are going to be excellent examples of integrated urban development. Unlike other religious infrastructure projects, these will create a synergy of connectivity, tourism, public infrastructure, and other sectors of economic activity,' he said. He added that improved accessibility typically catalyses investment, employment, and real estate growth.