Cabinet clears Rs 2,642-crore rail-road bridge over Ganga

A Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the construction of a new rail-cum-road bridge over Ganga river in Varanasi as part of the Varanasi-Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya multi-tracking project.

The bridge, entailing an estimated cost of Rs 2,642 crore, is expected to take around four years for completion and will significantly enhance connectivity in the region.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new bridge would replace the 137-year-old Malviya Bridge, which currently has two rail tracks and as many roads.

Briefing the media here, Vaishnaw said since the Malviya Bridge was 137 years old, it had been decided to build a new bridge that would have four railway lines on the lower deck and a six-lane highway on the upper deck. Having a length of over 1 km, the proposed bridge would be counted among the biggest in the world in terms of traffic capacity, Vaishnaw said.

Designed to last 150 years, it will connect the districts of Varanasi and Chandauli. It is expected to reduce congestion on one of Indian Railways’ busiest sections while also providing crucial infrastructural improvements. Additionally, the project is expected to save approximately Rs 638 crore per year in diesel imports by reducing fuel consumption by 8 crore litres annually.

In a statement, the Ministry of Railways said the project was a result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity.