NHAI Introduces New Guidelines for Design and Development of Access-Controlled High-Speed National Highways

The NHAI’s new guidelines for high-speed access-controlled National Highways are designed to standardize planning and design, ensuring safety, efficiency, and consistency across India’s expanding road network.

Uniform Standards:
Applies to all upcoming 4/6 lane Greenfield and Brownfield high-speed corridors, addressing variations in DPR preparation.

Strategic Vision:
Supports the Government’s roadmap of 50,000 km of access-controlled corridors under Viksit Bharat 2047, reducing logistics costs and boosting connectivity.

Safety Measures:
Special provisions for advance notifications of exits/entries, plus a 1-metre boundary wall to prevent unauthorized access and stray cattle entry.

Lane Configurations:
- Up to 15,000 vehicles/day → 4-lane highway, 60m width
- 15,000–25,000 vehicles/day → 4-lane highway with 6-lane structures, 70m width
- 25,000–40,000 vehicles/day → 6-lane highway & structures, 70m width

Access Control:
Interchanges with ramps at crossings with expressways, highways, arterial roads, and major hubs (ports, airports, MMLPs, industrial zones, tourist destinations).

Why it matters
These guidelines represent a future-ready framework for India’s highway development, ensuring smoother traffic flow, safer journeys, and uniformity across projects. They also reinforce NHAI’s role in achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision by making highways more reliable and globally competitive.