Varanasi’s Rail-Cum-Road Ganga Bridge: Tender Process Underway, Bids Likely To Be Opened In September, Says Report

Varanasi divisional commissioner S Rajalingam, along with other railway and revenue officials, recently inspected the proposed site of the ambitious double-decker rail-cum-road bridge over the Ganga River in Varanasi, Times of India reported.

Approved by the Union Cabinet in October 2024, the bridge is a key component of the Rs 2,642-crore Varanasi-Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) multitracking project, aimed at significantly boosting regional connectivity and logistics efficiency.

Stretching over 1 km, the bridge is designed with two tiers, four railway tracks on the lower deck and a six-lane highway on the upper deck, engineered for a service life of 150 years.

The structure will rise approximately 50 metres downstream from the existing Malviya Bridge, connecting Varanasi with the DDU Junction, a major hub for both freight and passenger traffic.

During the site visit, officials reviewed preparatory works including traffic rerouting plans, land acquisition challenges, utility shifting, and approach road alignments. 

Currently, the project is in its pre-construction phase, with tendering processes underway and critical technical assessments ongoing.

The bridge is targeted for completion within four years.

The project addresses severe congestion along the busy Varanasi-DDU corridor, which is crucial for transporting coal, cement, food grains, and other goods. 

With the addition of the third and fourth railway lines and the modern bridge, Indian Railways expects to boost line capacity and streamline operations.

Once operational, the route is projected to handle up to 27.83 million tonnes of freight annually.

Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for integrated infrastructure, the project is also anticipated to generate nearly 10 lakh human days of employment during construction, contributing to local economic development.

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