NHAI Issues Guidelines for High-Speed National Highways

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issued guidelines on 21 September 2026 for planning and designing access-controlled high-speed National Highways. The guidelines cover upcoming 4-lane and 6-lane Greenfield and Brownfield corridors and exclude expressways.

Scope of the Guidelines

The guidelines apply to access-controlled high-speed National Highways that are not classified as expressways. They seek uniformity in Detailed Project Reports, technical standards, road safety provisions, and operational efficiency across the National Highway network.

Lane Configuration and Corridor Width

Traffic volume determines the standard lane configuration under the new framework. Corridors carrying up to 15,000 vehicles will have a 4-lane highway with 4-lane structures and a 60-metre width. Corridors carrying 15,000 to 25,000 vehicles will have a 4-lane highway with 6-lane structures and a 70-metre width. Corridors carrying 25,000 to 40,000 vehicles will have a 6-lane highway with 6-lane structures and a 70-metre width.

Road Safety and Access Control

The guidelines include advance notification of exits and entries for drivers on high-speed corridors. A 1-metre-high boundary wall will be built along the outer edge of the corridor to prevent unauthorised entry and stray cattle movement. Interchanges with ramps will be mandatory at crossings with expressways, national highways, state highways, and major arterial roads.

Important Facts for Exams

• The National Highways Authority of India was established in 1988 under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.
• Access-controlled highways restrict entry and exit to designated points through interchanges and ramps.
• Greenfield projects are built on new alignments, while Brownfield projects involve upgrading existing corridors.
• Viksit Bharat 2047 includes a target of 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors.

Strategic Roadmap

The guidelines are aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047, which includes a target of 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors. The framework also covers links to ports, airports, industrial areas, and other major traffic-generating destinations.

Earlier Standardisation Gap

Before these guidelines, no separate standards governed the planning and design of access-controlled high-speed National Highways other than expressways. This led to variations in Detailed Project Report preparation across projects.