NHAI New Highway Rules will bring major changes to the planning and design of upcoming high-speed National Highways, with provisions for barrier-free tolling, better drainage, technology-led construction and greener road corridors.
The new guidelines issued by the National Highways Authority of India will apply to upcoming four-lane and six-lane greenfield and brownfield high-speed access-controlled National Highways, excluding expressways.
NHAI New Highway Rules Include MLFF Tolling
The new framework provides for Multi-Lane Free Flow, or MLFF, tolling on high-speed corridors.
Under this system, vehicles can pass through tolling points without stopping at conventional toll plazas, with toll collection designed around electronic and technology-based systems.
The guidelines also call for detailed traffic assessment before highway projects are planned.
Existing traffic, vehicles expected to shift to new corridors and future growth in freight movement will be considered while estimating road capacity.
Toll data and other reliable sources will also be used to improve traffic projections and help determine the requirements of upcoming corridors.
Better Drainage Planned for New Highways
Drainage planning will become an important part of the Detailed Project Report for these highways.
Plans will identify how rainwater from the highway and surrounding areas will be safely managed and where it should be discharged.
Water-harvesting structures are also planned at suitable locations, particularly in areas where rainwater does not have a natural outlet.
Special arrangements will be made around underpasses, flyovers and depressed medians to reduce waterlogging and protect road infrastructure.
Technology to Shape Highway Construction
The guidelines provide for Automated and Intelligent Machine-aided Construction technology for highway embankments and pavements.
The objective is to improve construction quality, accuracy, consistency and monitoring.
The framework also brings environmental planning into the project-design stage. Landscaping and plantation will be planned around suitable areas such as medians, loop areas and spaces below flyovers, taking local climate and environmental conditions into account.
Drip irrigation systems are also planned on highway medians to improve water efficiency and make plantation maintenance easier.
New Highways to Plan for Future Traffic
The new framework is aimed at making upcoming high-speed National Highway corridors safer, greener and better prepared for future traffic demand.
The guidelines are intended to standardise planning for new access-controlled corridors while combining traffic forecasting, modern construction technology, smoother tolling, improved water management and environmental measures from the project-planning stage itself.
