Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 15 July announced that the Centre has approved a six-lane, state-of-the-art riverfront corridor along the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, at a total capital cost of ₹14,447.64 crore. The project is projected to cut average travel time across the city from 60 minutes to just 20 minutes, offering a significant boost to connectivity in Purvanchal, eastern Uttar Pradesh.

What the Project Covers

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Modi, cleared the development of a 46.039-km link and connector corridor between National Highway-19 (NH-19) and the Varanasi Ring Road, with riverbank connectivity along the Ganga. The corridor will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).

The project encompasses a six-lane elevated main carriageway, an iconic cable-stayed bridge, an extradosed foot-over-bridge-cum-major bridge, loops, ramps, link roads, and service roads. It is designed for an operating speed of 80–100 kmph.

Travel Time Benefits

According to the government, the corridor will provide seamless connectivity between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road, significantly decongesting the city's existing road network. Travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station is expected to fall from nearly 50 minutes to approximately 25 minutes.

The route is designed to improve access to Varanasi's major religious, educational, and cultural landmarks — a critical consideration for a city that draws millions of pilgrims and tourists annually.

What PM Modi Said

Sharing the announcement in a post on social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi said: 'We are committed to the development of world-class infrastructure in Kashi. In line with this, today we have approved the construction of a state-of-the-art 6-lane corridor along the banks of the Ganga.'

He added: 'This will further improve access to the city's major religious, educational, and cultural sites. At the same time, the reduced pressure on the road network will make commuting even smoother. This project will accelerate economic development in Purvanchal.'

Broader Economic Impact

Varanasi, also known as Kashi and Banaras, is one of India's oldest cities and a major centre for religious tourism. The corridor is expected to ease the chronic traffic bottlenecks that have long hampered movement between the city's ghats, temples, universities, and transport hubs. This comes amid a broader Central push to upgrade infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, which has seen several large-scale highway and expressway projects in recent years.

Notably, Varanasi is Prime Minister Modi's own parliamentary constituency, making the project politically significant as well as infrastructurally consequential. With the CCEA clearance now in place, project execution timelines and contractor selection are expected to follow in the coming months.