NHAI issues guidelines for design of access-controlled high-speed National Highways
On 21 September 2026, NHAI released guidelines for planning and designing high-speed access-controlled National Highways other than Expressways, to bring uniform standards to their Detailed Project Reports.
Summary
NHAI's high-speed highway guidelines will apply to all upcoming 4/6-lane greenfield and brownfield high-speed access-controlled National Highways. NHAI said there were no separate standards for such highways and that DPRs had varied in the standards they used. The guidelines align with the Viksit Bharat 2047 roadmap, which envisages 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors.
Key facts
- Issued by
- National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
- Scope
- High-speed access-controlled National Highways other than Expressways
- Applies to
- All upcoming 4/6-lane greenfield and brownfield corridors
- Long-term plan
- 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors under Viksit Bharat 2047
Practice MCQs 2 questions
How many km of access-controlled high-speed corridors does the Viksit Bharat 2047 roadmap envisage, as cited by NHAI in September 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — 50,000 km
The roadmap envisages 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors.
Consider the following about NHAI's guidelines of September 2026: 1. The guidelines cover high-speed access-controlled National Highways other than Expressways. 2. The guidelines apply only to brownfield upgrades of existing highways. Which of the above is/are correct?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the guidelines apply to all upcoming 4/6-lane greenfield and brownfield corridors.