What happened
The Union Cabinet approved the development of a 46.039 km six-lane Greenfield Ganga Elevated Corridor in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to ease road congestion and improve connectivity. The corridor is planned between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road (NH-135B), with ramps, loops, and an extradosed Foot Over Bridge-cum-bridge, at a total capital cost of ₹14,447.64 crore.
Background and earlier position
Varanasi faces mounting pressure on its urban transport network due to rising numbers of tourists and pilgrims. Congestion on key arterial roads often increases travel times to major religious, educational and cultural landmarks and also affects residents and logistics, creating a need for infrastructure that can move passenger and freight traffic more efficiently through and across the city.
What changed now (project design and scope approved by the Cabinet)
The approved Greenfield Ganga Elevated Corridor is designed as a high-speed, access-controlled urban corridor connecting NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road with Ramnagar, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and other key destinations. The project is expected to connect major tourist and religious nodes such as the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the ghats of Varanasi, Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort, and Kashi Railway Station.
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