The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a 43.218-km six/four-lane elevated corridor along the Varuna River in Uttar Pradesh to ease traffic congestion in Varanasi and improve regional connectivity.
The project, to be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), has been approved at a total capital cost of ₹10,998.32 crore. This includes a civil construction cost of ₹4,565.33 crore and land acquisition expenditure of ₹934.91 crore.
The proposed corridor will connect National Highway-31 with the Varanasi Ring Road, forming a key part of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan. The project will feature a predominantly elevated six/four-lane carriageway along with flyovers, ramps, loops and service roads, creating a high-speed urban transport link designed for operating speeds of 80–100 km/h.
The corridor is expected to significantly improve connectivity to several important destinations, including Kashi Railway Station, Varanasi Ring Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi City Railway Station, Varanasi Junction, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Ramnagar Port, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, the city’s famous ghats and the neighbouring Chandauli district.
One key benefit of the project will be a substantial reduction in travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station. The journey, which currently takes around 40 minutes, is expected to be reduced to approximately 20 minutes, cutting travel time by nearly 50%.
The elevated corridor is also expected to ease congestion on Varanasi’s busy urban roads by diverting through traffic away from city streets. The government said the project will improve road safety, reduce vehicle operating costs and ensure faster, uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight traffic.
In addition to addressing urban mobility challenges, the project is expected to strengthen regional economic connectivity. It will improve access to the Chandauli Social Economic Zone, the social node at Chandauli and six major logistics hubs, supporting seamless multimodal transport integration under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
The improved transport infrastructure will facilitate the efficient movement of agricultural produce, industrial goods, construction materials and minerals, enhance logistics efficiency and support economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh.
According to the government, the corridor will serve as a modern access-controlled transport network that not only improves mobility and multimodal connectivity but also boosts tourism, trade and regional development while enhancing the overall quality of life for residents and visitors to Varanasi.
