Part of Rs 2,642-crore project: To ease rail traffic on key route, govt clears rail-road bridge on Ganga in Varanasi

The bridge will be completed in four years and will replace the iconic 137-year-old Malviya bridge.

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Oct 17, 2024 01:22 AM IST

Officials said that the existing Malviya Bridge, the Varanasi-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction route is oversaturated and therefore it needs to be replaced. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Sujayadhar)

The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved a double-decker rail-road bridge across the Ganga in Varanasi as part of a Rs 2,642-crore project meant to ease congestion on the key railway route between Varanasi and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction in Uttar Pradesh.

The bridge will be completed in four years and will replace the iconic 137-year-old Malviya bridge.

The project also includes the addition of third and fourth railway lines between Varanasi and the DDU Junction route, among other infrastructural upgrades. The rail-road bridge will comprise four railway lines on the lower deck and a six-lane highway on the upper deck.

“The existing bridge is very old but due to continuous maintenance, it is still in good condition. The new bridge will be counted among one of the biggest bridges in traffic capacity in the world. This corridor will especially connect the northern, eastern and western states and this bridge is the major connecting link on river Ganga,” said Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. “From the point of view of traffic, this will be India’s largest bridge. This will be a little more than a kilometre long.”

Officials said they were anticipating the movement of 27.83 MTPA of freight on the route once the congestion is eased.

The Varanasi Railway Station connects key zones of the Indian Railways and serves as a gateway for pilgrims, tourists and the local population. The vital Varanasi-DDU Junction route faces heavy congestion due to its role in transporting goods such as coal, cement and foodgrains, besides serving growing tourism and industrial demands.

Dheeraj Mishra

Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries: Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development. What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations. Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More

Tags:
Ganga River

Loading Recommendations...

Jun 10: Latest News

Live Blog