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The face of Varanasi (Kashi), the cultural and religious city of Uttar Pradesh, is going to change completely. The Central Government has taken a historic decision to permanently relieve the city from the decades-old traffic jam problem and to make the road infrastructure here world class. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) has given the green signal to two very big highway projects for Varanasi with a total investment of about ₹25,500 crore.
The construction of these two ambitious corridors was approved in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav shared the complete outline of these projects while giving information about the cabinet decisions to the media.
First Project: NH-31 and Varanasi Ring Road Link (along the banks of Varuna River)
This project will prove to be very important in reducing the internal traffic pressure of Varanasi city.
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Route and Length: This new link road total 43.218 kilometers long Which will be developed along the banks of river Varuna.
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Design: This is mainly a 6/4-lane elevated corridor A network of spectacular flyovers, loops, ramps and service roads will be laid along the main carriageway.
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Cost and models: It will be prepared by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). total on this ₹10,998.32 crore Capital cost will be Rs.
Second Project: NH-19 and Varanasi Ring Road Greenfield Corridor (along the banks of River Ganga)
This project will give a new identity to Varanasi as well as provide a smooth connectivity to the bypass traffic of the city.
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Route and Length: It will connect National Highway-19 (NH-19) and Varanasi Ring Road. it A greenfield elevated corridor of 46.039 km long The project will provide excellent riverbank connectivity along the banks of the holy river Ganga.
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Attraction: Under this project a 6-lane elevated main carriageway Will be made. Also, among its main attractions is a grand Iconic Cable-Stayed Bridge (Cable-Stayed Bridge) and an extradosed foot-over bridge-cum-major bridge.
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Cost: This will also be developed on the hybrid annuity model, the total capital cost of which will be Rs. ₹14,447.64 crore Has been estimated.
60 minute journey in just 20 minutes; Know the big benefits for the people of Kashi
These two mega projects, which are being prepared keeping in mind the needs of the future 50 years, will give a new dimension to the urban mobility of Varanasi:
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70% reduction in travel time: The average travel time of vehicles on this route after the complete commissioning of these projects reduced from 60 minutes to just 20 minutes Will remain.
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The city will get relief from jam: Heavy vehicles coming from outside states and districts will directly exit from NH-19 and NH-31 via Ring Road without entering the city, which will completely eliminate congestion at the internal intersections of the city.
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Promotion of religious and educational tourism: This elevated corridor will provide a very convenient way for the devotees coming to visit Baba Vishwanath, students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and tourists visiting cultural centres. This new network of modern infrastructure will give a new impetus to local trade, logistics and the entire economy.