NHAI Sets New Design Rules for High-Speed Highways as India Targets 50,000 Km Network

India is moving towards a more standardised design framework for access-controlled high-speed national highways, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) introducing new guidelines covering road width, lane configuration, interchanges, access control and safety provisions.

The guidelines, released on September 21, will apply to upcoming four-lane and six-lane greenfield and brownfield access-controlled National Highway projects, excluding expressways. The move is aimed at bringing greater consistency to Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), technical standards and safety requirements across the country’s expanding high-speed road network.

The framework comes against India’s longer-term plan to develop around 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors by 2047. According to NHAI, the network is intended to improve connectivity and reduce logistics costs while creating a more uniform national highway system.

One of the biggest changes is that highway configuration will be determined by projected traffic volumes. Corridors carrying up to 15,000 vehicles will use a four-lane highway with four-lane structures and a prescribed corridor width of 60 metres.

Where traffic is expected to range between 15,000 and 25,000 vehicles, the guidelines prescribe a four-lane highway with six-lane structures and a 70-metre width. For corridors carrying between 25,000 and 40,000 vehicles, a six-lane highway with six-lane structures and a 70-metre width will be used.

The new standards also place greater emphasis on controlling access to high-speed roads. Interchanges and ramps will be provided at crossings with expressways, National Highways, State Highways and important arterial roads generating substantial traffic.

Connectivity to major traffic-generating destinations such as ports, airports, Multi-Modal Logistics Parks, industrial areas and major tourist destinations will also be incorporated through suitable interchanges. This could make the new corridors more closely integrated with India’s wider logistics and industrial infrastructure network.

Safety provisions have also been strengthened. The guidelines prescribe advance notification of exits and entries, allowing motorists more time to anticipate access and egress points. Additional rules reported by NHAI include measures to eliminate direct conflict points on future access-controlled corridors, supporting uninterrupted high-speed movement.

NHAI has also prescribed a one-metre-high boundary wall along the outer edge of the corridor. The barrier is intended to help prevent encroachments, unauthorised access and the entry of stray cattle onto high-speed highways.

The significance extends beyond road construction. High-speed corridors connecting ports, airports, logistics parks and industrial clusters can influence freight movement, warehousing demand and the location of new commercial and industrial activity.

For infrastructure developers, standardised design parameters could also make project planning more predictable by reducing variations in the technical standards used during DPR preparation.

India’s high-speed highway network remains a long-term undertaking. The Indian Express reported that the total length of high-speed corridors stood at 3,052 km at the end of December 2025, against the much larger long-term target.