The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has released new guidelines for planning and building high-speed access-controlled National Highways across the country. These guidelines aim to create uniform standards for design and construction of such corridors, excluding expressways. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued these rules to ensure consistency, improve safety, and support the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
What the guidelines cover
The guidelines will apply to all upcoming 4-lane and 6-lane high-speed National Highways, whether newly built or upgraded from existing roads. They set out specific width requirements based on expected traffic volume:
- 60 metres width for corridors expecting up to 15,000 vehicles daily (4-lane configuration)
- 70 metres width for corridors expecting 15,000 to 25,000 vehicles daily (6-lane configuration)
- 70 metres width for corridors expecting 25,000 to 40,000 vehicles daily (6-lane configuration)
The guidelines emphasize safety features suited to high-speed traffic. They require advance warning systems for exits and entries so drivers can prepare to leave or join the highway safely. Interchanges with ramps must be built where these corridors cross expressways, other National Highways, State Highways, and roads leading to major destinations like airports, ports, industrial areas and tourist sites.
To prevent unauthorized entry and keep out stray animals, the guidelines mandate a 1-metre-high boundary wall along the outer edge of each corridor. This forms part of stronger access control measures to maintain uninterrupted traffic flow.
The guidelines address an existing gap in India’s highway standards. Currently, there are no separate specifications for planning and designing access-controlled high-speed National Highways other than expressways, leading to inconsistencies across projects. These new rules create a single framework that all future projects must follow.
What this means for you
If you travel on high-speed National Highways or use them for business transport, these standards should make journeys safer and smoother. The uniform design means you can expect consistent features across different corridors. Better access control and boundary walls reduce accidents involving stray animals and unauthorized crossings. Faster, more efficient highways support lower logistics costs, which can eventually benefit prices of goods you buy.