New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Varuna Elevated Corridor will link NH‑31 with the Varanasi Ring Road and provide a high‑capacity alternative route through the city and help ease congestion on urban roads, an official statement said on Tuesday.
Following the Union Cabinet approval in July, the Rs 10,998 crore, 43.218‑km elevated six/four‑lane corridor is designed for speeds of 80–100 kmph and will reduce the travel time between NH-31 and Kashi Railway Station from about 40 minutes to nearly 20 minutes, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said.
The reduction in travel time will improve traffic flow, reduce vehicle operating costs and support more efficient movement of both passengers and freight.
The corridor developed by the National Highways Authority of India, will include a main carriageway, flyovers, loops, ramps, service roads, an iconic cable‑stayed bridge and an extradosed foot‑over‑bridge‑cum‑major bridge.
The corridor forms an important part of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan, designed to improve movement between major highways, railway stations, the airport and important urban destinations.
By providing a direct link between NH-31 and the Varanasi Ring Road, the project will improve access to key transport gateways, including Varanasi Airport, Varanasi Cantonment, Varanasi City Railway Station, Kashi Railway Station and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction.
It will also strengthen connectivity to Ramnagar Port and important areas along the Varuna corridor.
The improved road infrastructure will facilitate smoother access to major religious and tourism destinations, including the ghats, Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
During major festivals and peak pilgrimage periods, when the city experiences a sharp increase in visitor movement, the additional road capacity is expected to help distribute traffic more efficiently and reduce pressure on key urban corridors.
The project will also improve access to major educational institutions such as Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, strengthening connectivity between educational centres and residential areas and making daily travel more convenient for students, faculty and researchers.
Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, it will improve access to the Chandauli Socio-Economic Zone, Chandauli Social Node and six major logistics nodes.
Better integration of national highways, railway infrastructure and freight movement corridors will facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, industrial goods, construction materials and minerals between Varanasi, Chandauli and adjoining regions.
The project is expected to support economic activity, enhance regional competitiveness and open up new opportunities for growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The elevated alignment, supported by strategically planned loops, ramps and service roads, will provide a dedicated mobility spine for through and regional traffic. This will help separate longer-distance movement from local traffic and reduce pressure on some of the city’s busiest roads.
The project includes Rs 4,565.33 crore towards civil construction and Rs 934.91 crore for land acquisition. Its design combines elevated infrastructure with major bridges and access structures to create a continuous high-capacity corridor across the city.
The corridor is expected to improve traffic conditions at major congestion points such as Varanasi Junction, Phulwaria and Chaukaghat, where local, commercial and through traffic currently converge on limited road capacity.
It is expected to cut travel time between Varanasi Junction and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport from nearly an hour to around 20 minutes.
–IANS
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