India, Aug. 6 -- Varanasi, one of the world's oldest living cities and the spiritual capital of India, welcomes over 15 crore tourists and pilgrims every year. The Cabinet has approved the development of a 46.039 km six-lane Greenfield Ganga Elevated Corridor, along with ramps, loops and an extradosed Foot Over Bridge, between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road (NH-135B) in Uttar Pradesh, at a total capital cost of Rs.14,447.64 crore.

Project Overview

- Length: 46.039 km, six-lane Greenfield elevated corridor.

- Cost: Rs.14,447.64 crore.

- Connectivity: Links NH-19, Varanasi Ring Road (NH-135B), Ramnagar, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and other key destinations.

- Design Speed: 80-100 km/h.

Benefits for Pilgrims & Residents

- Travel time across the influence area cut from ~60 minutes to ~20 minutes (67% reduction).

- NH-19 to Kashi Railway Station travel time reduced from ~50 minutes to ~25 minutes.

- Elevated spur between BHU/Lanka and Samne Ghat to ease congestion at Lanka Junction.

- Easier access to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Ghats, Namo Ghat, BHU, Ramnagar Fort, and Kashi Railway Station.

Landmark Engineering Features

- 910-metre cable-stayed bridge across the Ganga.

- 1.32 km extradosed Foot Over Bridge-cum-Major Bridge with travelators for pedestrian access to Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

- Rail Over Bridge over Malviya Bridge.

- Emergency parking bays, noise barriers, facade lighting, and heritage-inspired architecture.

Economic Impact

- Supports livelihoods of priests, boatmen, artisans, guides, vendors, hotels, and transport operators.

- Encourages longer visitor stays and deeper exploration of cultural and commercial offerings.

- Boosts logistics efficiency and regional economic growth.

Multimodal Connectivity

- Aligned with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

- Integrates highways, railways, airports, and inland waterways.

- Connects Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Kashi Railway Station, and Ramnagar IWAI terminal.

- Enhances passenger and......

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Travel Media.