NHAI High-Speed Highway Rules introduce a uniform framework for designing and developing access-controlled national highways across India.
The new guidelines set standards for lane configuration, corridor width, interchanges, access points and safety measures.
NHAI High-Speed Highway Rules Explained
The National Highways Authority of India has issued the guidelines for upcoming four- and six-lane greenfield and brownfield high-speed access-controlled national highways, excluding expressways.
The move aims to remove variations in technical standards used while preparing Detailed Project Reports for such highway projects and create greater consistency across the national network.
Lane and Corridor Width Standards
Under the new framework, lane configuration will depend on projected traffic volumes. Corridors carrying up to 15,000 vehicles will have four-lane highways, four-lane structures and a 60-metre corridor width.
For traffic between 15,000 and 25,000 vehicles, the highway will have four lanes with six-lane structures and a 70-metre corridor width.
Corridors carrying 25,000 to 40,000 vehicles will have six-lane highways and six-lane structures with a 70-metre width.
New Safety and Access-Control Measures
The guidelines place special emphasis on safety for high-speed traffic.
Advance notification of highway entries and exits will be provided so that motorists have sufficient warning before reaching access and egress points.
Interchanges with ramps will be provided at crossings with expressways, national and state highways, and important roads connecting major traffic-generating locations such as ports, airports, logistics parks, industrial areas and major tourist destinations.
Boundary Walls and Uninterrupted Movement
The NHAI guidelines also prescribe a one-metre-high boundary wall along the outer edge of the corridor.
The measure is intended to strengthen access control and help prevent unauthorised entry, encroachments and stray cattle from entering high-speed corridors.
The NHAI High-Speed Highway Rules are part of the broader expansion of access-controlled highway infrastructure, with the long-term roadmap envisaging 50,000 km of such high-speed corridors by 2047.
