# NHAI sets uniform design norms for high-speed highways

2026-09-21T15:57:14+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced a uniform design framework for upcoming four- and six-lane greenfield and brownfield access-controlled high-speed national highways. The guidelines, issued on Monday, aim to standardise lane configurations based on traffic volumes and improve road safety. Corridors carrying up to 15,000 vehicles will have four-lane highways and a width of 60 metres. Those with 15,000 to 25,000 vehicles will get four-lane highways and six-lane structures within 70 metres. Highways with 25,000 to 40,000 vehicles will be six-lane highways with 70-metre width. The rules mandate one-metre-high boundary walls to prevent unauthorised access and stray cattle entry, plus advance exit signage at 5 km, 2 km, 1 km and 500 metres. The framework also eliminates median cuts and at-grade intersections on these corridors, and requires interchanges at crossings with expressways, national highways, state highways and major arterial roads. NHAI said the move aligns with the government's Viksit Bharat 2047 road map target of developing 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All four sources report the NHAI guidelines as a routine policy announcement with near-identical facts: lane configurations, safety provisions, and alignment with the Viksit Bharat 2047 target. The Times of India leads with the elimination of median cuts and surface intersections, framing the story around crash prevention, while the other three lead with the standardisation of design. The coverage is uniformly straight reporting with no government-critical or ideological slant. The key question is whether NHAI can enforce these norms consistently across the 50,000 km target, given past variations in DPR standards that the guidelines themselves acknowledge.

## Coverage

- livemint.com (neutral report) <https://www.livemint.com/news/india/nhai-sets-uniform-design-norms-for-high-speed-access-controlled-highways-11789992201331.html>
  Straight news agency style reporting with no discernible slant
- economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/roadways/nhai-standardises-4/6-lane-high-speed-roads-new-rules-will-change-lane-widths-exits-safety-measures-for-highway-drivers/articleshow/134390536.cms>
  Straight reporting, lists details without editorialising
- deccanherald.com (neutral report) <https://www.deccanherald.com/india/nhai-issues-new-guidelines-to-standardise-design-of-high-speed-national-highways-4154305>
  Neutral report, no judgement or critique
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/no-median-cuts-surface-intersections-on-future-high-speed-nh-corridors-nhai/articleshow/134397321.cms>
  Factual report, leads with safety measures

Tags: MoRTH, NHAI, Viksit Bharat 2047
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