The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has received Cabinet approval for the development of a transformative urban mobility solution in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The project involves constructing a 46.039 km six-lane Greenfield Ganga Elevated Corridor between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road (NH-135B) at a total capital cost of ₹14,447.64 crore. The access-controlled corridor will include ramps, loops, and an extradosed Foot Over Bridge, designed for operating speeds of 80-100 kmph.
The primary objective is to address severe congestion in Varanasi, which receives over 15 crore tourists and pilgrims annually. The corridor will significantly improve connectivity to key destinations including Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the Ghats of Varanasi, Namo Ghat, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Ramnagar Fort, and Kashi Railway Station. An elevated spur between BHU/Lanka and Samne Ghat will specifically ease congestion at the busy Lanka Junction by separating through traffic from local traffic movement.
The project is expected to dramatically reduce travel times across the influence area from nearly 60 minutes to about 20 minutes, representing a 67% reduction. Travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station will reduce from approximately 50 minutes to about 25 minutes.
Notable engineering features include a 910-meter cable-stayed bridge across the River Ganga, a 1.32 km extradosed Foot Over Bridge-cum-Major Bridge equipped with travelators for seamless pedestrian connectivity to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and a Rail Over Bridge over the existing and proposed Malviya Bridge. Additional infrastructure elements include dedicated emergency parking bays, noise barriers, façade lighting, and architectural elements inspired by Varanasi's cultural heritage.
The project aligns with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and will create a seamless multimodal transport ecosystem by integrating highways, railways, airports, and inland waterways. It will provide enhanced connectivity to NH-19, Varanasi Ring Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Kashi Railway Station, and the Ramnagar IWAI Inland Waterways Terminal.
Economically, the project is expected to boost local livelihoods by supporting longer visitor stays and greater exploration of the city's cultural and commercial offerings. It will benefit priests, boatmen, tour guides, flower vendors, artisans, handicraft sellers, hotels, restaurants, and transport operators while improving logistics efficiency and goods movement across eastern Uttar Pradesh.