The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced new guidelines for the planning and design of high-speed, access-controlled national highways, excluding expressways. The new framework is aimed at making these roads safer, improving traffic movement and bringing uniformity to highway construction across the country.
The guidelines will apply to all upcoming four-lane and six-lane greenfield and brownfield access-controlled national highways. NHAI said the rules are intended to bring consistency to the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), technical standards and safety measures for such projects.
The move comes as India prepares to expand its network of high-speed corridors. Under the government’s long-term Viksit Bharat 2047 roadmap, the country plans to develop around 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors. The broader objective is to improve connectivity, support faster movement of goods and reduce logistics costs.
Until now, there were no separate standards specifically covering the planning and design of access-controlled high-speed national highways other than expressways. NHAI said this had resulted in differences in the standards used for preparing project reports.
The new guidelines are intended to address that gap by creating a common framework for highway design. They include provisions for road safety, traffic flow, access control and the design of interchanges.
One of the main changes focuses on how motorists enter and leave these highways. The guidelines call for advance notification of entry and exit points so that drivers have enough time to prepare and change direction safely. This is particularly important on roads designed for high-speed traffic, where sudden lane changes or unexpected access points can increase the risk of crashes.
The new framework also links the number of lanes to expected traffic levels. Corridors carrying up to 15,000 vehicles will generally have four-lane highways and four-lane structures, with a right of way of 60 metres.
Where traffic is expected to range between 15,000 and 25,000 vehicles, the highway will have four lanes while structures such as bridges will have six lanes. These corridors will have a 70-metre right of way.
For corridors expected to carry between 25,000 and 40,000 vehicles, the guidelines provide for six-lane highways and six-lane structures, also within a 70-metre right of way. The approach is designed to ensure that highway capacity is based on actual and projected traffic demand rather than using the same configuration for every corridor.
Another important feature is the planned use of grade-separated interchanges. Ramps will be provided where these high-speed highways cross expressways, national highways, state highways and important arterial roads carrying significant traffic.
Interchanges will also be planned to connect high-speed corridors with major traffic-generating destinations. These include ports, airports, Multi-Modal Logistics Parks, industrial areas and major tourist destinations.
The aim is to keep traffic moving without frequent interruptions caused by conventional road crossings. Recent reports on the guidelines also indicate that future access-controlled corridors will avoid median openings and surface-level intersections, reducing potential conflict points between vehicles.
Access control is another major part of the new framework. NHAI has prescribed a one-metre-high boundary wall along the outer edge of these corridors. The measure is intended to prevent unauthorised entry, encroachments and stray cattle from entering high-speed roads.
The focus on access control is important because high-speed highways are designed differently from conventional national highways. Limiting entry and exit points can help reduce unexpected vehicle movements and allow traffic to travel more smoothly.
The guidelines are expected to influence how future highway projects are planned from the early design stage. By setting common standards for lane capacity, road access, interchanges and safety provisions, NHAI aims to reduce variations between projects and create a more consistent national highway network.
The initiative is also part of India’s larger infrastructure push, with road connectivity being positioned as an important part of economic activity and logistics. Faster and more predictable movement on national highways can support the transportation of goods between manufacturing centres, ports, airports and markets.
The most visible changes for motorists will eventually be clearer entry and exit arrangements, fewer direct crossings and better separation between local traffic and high-speed through traffic.
NHAI said the guidelines represent a step towards developing a safer, seamless and future-ready national highway network. As more access-controlled corridors are planned, the new standards are expected to provide a common blueprint for their design and development across India.
