Varanasi: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying its foundation, the Rs 2,642-crore Signature Double Decker Bridge on the Ganga in Kashi will start taking shape parallel to the 139-year-old Malviya bridge. It will have four rail tracks on the lower deck and a six-lane road on the upper deck.Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced the Signature Double Decker Bridge on the Ganga in Kashi in Nov 2022 as part of the total redevelopment of Kashi railway station with road and waterway connectivity. The Modi cabinet approved the Rs 2,642-crore project in Oct 2024. Before his Oct 20, 2024, Varanasi visit, Modi posted on X, “This will not only improve connectivity for pilgrims, tourists, and locals but also create new opportunities for employment and business.”After completion of all basic works, PM Modi will mark the start of construction on the bridge on Tuesday. The multi-tracking Signature Bridge project is expected to ease operations and reduce congestion, providing much-needed infrastructure on one of Indian Railways’ busiest sections.This bridge will be built parallel to the historic Malviya Bridge, a significant double-decker rail-cum-road bridge over the Ganga River, crucial for connecting regions and hosting the Grand Trunk Road. The double-decker steel truss bridge over the Ganga was built in 1887 by the Oudh & Rohilkhand Railway, initially named the Dufferin Bridge after India’s Governor-General, then renamed in 1948 after freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya, founder of Banaras Hindu University. It uniquely carries a railway on the lower deck and the Grand Trunk Road on the upper, remaining a vital transport link and landmark despite aging.
