VARANASI, July 16 -- Two elevated greenfield corridors, the Ganga Elevated Corridor and the Varuna Elevated Corridor approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, are expected to reduce traffic congestion on Varanasi's existing road network by up to 40 per cent while significantly cutting air and noise pollution, Varanasi divisional commissioner S Rajalingam said at a press conference. Rajalingam said the Varuna Elevated Corridor is expected to be completed in about three years, while the Ganga Elevated Corridor will take around five years. Both projects have been designed to ensure that existing heritage structures and other important buildings remain unaffected, added Rajalingam. The 43.218-kilometre-long elevated Varuna corridor along the banks of the Varuna River will be 6/4 lanes and is expected to cost Rs 10,998 crore. This project will connect NH-31 to the Kashi Railway station and Varanasi Ring Road. The 46.039-km Ganga Elevated Corridor, comprising a six-lane elevated carriageway, an iconic cable-stayed bridge, an extradosed foot over bridge-cum-major bridge, loops, ramps, link roads and service roads, will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 14,447.64 crore. This includes a civil construction cost of Rs 6,037.85 crore (including utility shifting but excluding GST) and Rs 541.11 crore for land acquisition under NH(O), Rajalingam said. The project will provide seamless connectivity between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road, significantly easing traffic and improving urban mobility. Designed for an operating speed of 80-100 kmph, it is expected to reduce average travel time across the project area from about 60 minutes to 20 minutes, a reduction of nearly 67 per cent. Travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station is expected to come down from about 50 minutes to 25 minutes. The commissioner said the corridor has been planned in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to strengthen multimodal connectivity by linking NH-19, the Varanasi Ring Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Ramnagar IWAI Port and major railway stations. It will also improve access to key religious, educational and cultural landmarks, including Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort and the ghats of Varanasi. By connecting important economic, social and logistics hubs, the project is expected to improve logistics efficiency, enhance road safety, facilitate tourism and pilgrimage, and support sustainable economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh. Rajalingam said that with more than 15 crore tourists and pilgrims visiting Varanasi annually, the corridor will substantially improve connectivity while reducing congestion by up to 40 per cent on the existing road network. The corridor is also expected to connect one economic node (Chandauli SEZ), one social node (Chandauli Aspirational District) and six major logistics nodes, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Kashi Railway Station, Banaras Railway Station, Varanasi City Railway Station, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction and Ramnagar IWAI Port, strengthening multimodal integration and supporting regional economic development. According to Rajalingam, the Ganga Elevated Corridor will transform urban mobility in Varanasi by providing faster, safer and more reliable connectivity, reducing congestion, strengthening multimodal transport, boosting tourism and pilgrimage infrastructure, and supporting sustainable economic growth....