NHAI Introduces New Guidelines for High-Speed National Highways

In line with the Government of India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and long-term objective of developing a world-class National Highway network, NHAI has released comprehensive guidelines for the planning and designing of High-Speed Access controlled National Highways, other than Expressways.

The guidelines seek to bring uniformity in standards for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of high-speed National Highway corridors and bring greater consistency in technical standards, strengthen road safety, improve operational efficiency across the National Highway network. The guidelines will apply to all upcoming 4/6 lane Greenfield and Brownfield High-speed access controlled National Highways.

The guidelines are aligned with the long-term Government of India’s strategic roadmap which envisages the development of 50,000 km of access-controlled High-Speed Corridors under Viksit Bharat 2047, boosting connectivity and reducing logistics costs.

At present, there are no separate standards and specifications governing planning and designing of access control High-Speed access controlled National Highways, other than Expressways. Variations have been observed in the standards adopted for preparation of DPR for such corridors. The new guidelines address this requirement by providing a uniform set of technical and safety provisions.

A key focus of the guidelines is on incorporation of additional safety measures appropriate with high-speed traffic conditions on corridors. Special provisions have been prescribed for advance notification of exits and entries, enabling National Highway users to anticipate and safely navigate upcoming access and egress points. (UPDATED ON 21ST SEPTMBER 2026)