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Informist, Wednesday, Jul. 15, 2026

--Cabinet OKs INR 144.48 bln for six-lane elevated corridor along Ganga 

--Cabinet OKs INR 110 bln for elevated corridor along river Varuna 

NEW DELHI – The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved INR 144.48 billion and INR 109.98 billion for two elevated corridors along the rivers Ganga and Varuna, respectively, in Uttar Pradesh. The two corridors will link Varanasi with national highways to help decongest the city and improve mobility, the government said in press releases.

The INR-144.48-billion corridor along the Ganga will link National Highway-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road, and the INR-109.98-billion corridor will connect National Highway-31 and the Varanasi Ring Road along the river Varuna. These corridors will free the city's road network and improve urban mobility, the government said. "The project will improve road safety through controlled-access movement, reduce vehicle operating costs and emissions, enhance travel reliability, and facilitate the efficient movement of passenger and freight traffic," it said.

The corridor along the Ganga is a 46-kilometre project, comprising a six-lane elevated main carriageway, a cable-stayed bridge, an extra dosed foot over bridge-cum-major bridge, loops, ramps, link roads and service roads. It will be implemented under the hybrid annuity model at a total capital cost of INR 144.48 billion, including civil construction cost of INR 60.38 billion and land acquisition cost of INR 5.41 billion. "Designed for an operating speed of 80–100 km/h, it is expected to reduce the average travel time across the project influence area from approximately 60 minutes to 20 minutes, representing a reduction of nearly 67%," a release said. 

The corridor along the Varuna will be a six- or four-lane project, including main carriageway, flyovers, loops, ramps and service roads, and will be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India under the hybrid annuity model at a total capital cost of INR 109.98 billion, including civil construction cost of INR 45.65 billion and land acquisition cost of INR 9.35 billion. "Designed for an operating speed of 80–100 km/h, the project will reduce travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from approximately 40 minutes to 20 minutes, representing a reduction of nearly 50%," another release said.

Together, these corridors will not only improve transportation efficiency but also enhance the city's urban landscape by adding to Varanasi's skyline, and reinforce its position as one of India's foremost religious and cultural destinations, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said.  End

Reported by Priyasmita Dutta

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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