The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the release of new guidelines intended for the planning and design of high-speed national controlled-access highways, which differ from expressways.
These guidelines aim to ensure uniformity in standards when preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for high-speed national highway corridors, as well as to enhance the consistency of technical standards, strengthen road safety, and improve the operational efficiency of the entire national highway network.
The new rules will apply to all future four-lane and six-lane projects, both Greenfield and Brownfield, of high-speed national controlled-access highways.
This aligns with the government's long-term strategic road map, which envisions the creation of 50,000 kilometers of such high-speed corridors under the Viksit Bharat 2047 program, expected to boost connectivity and reduce logistics costs.
Previously, there were no separate standards and specifications regulating the design of high-speed national controlled-access highways, apart from expressways, leading to variations in standards used when preparing DPRs for similar corridors. The new guidelines resolve this issue by providing a unified set of technical and safety measures.
A key aspect of the new regulations is the inclusion of additional safety measures suitable for high-speed driving conditions. Specific provisions have been established regarding advance notification of exits and entrances, allowing users of national highways to anticipate and safely maneuver at approaching access and exit points.
The lane configuration on high-speed national highways will be standardized based on detailed traffic assessment. For corridors with traffic up to 15,000 vehicles, featuring four-lane highways and a four-lane structure, a width of 60 meters is stipulated.
Similarly, corridors with traffic ranging from 15,000 to 25,000 vehicles, equipped with four-lane highways and a six-lane structure, will receive a width of 70 meters. Furthermore, highways with traffic between 25,000 and 40,000 vehicles will have a width of 70 meters when configured as six-lane highways with a six-lane structure.
According to the new guidelines, interchanges with ramps will be organized at intersections with expressways, national highways, state highways, and major traffic-generating arteries, as well as with roads connecting to major hubs such as ports, airports, Multimodal Logistics Parks (MMLPs), industrial zones, and primary tourist destinations.
