Highway projects in Gujarat: NHAI signs MoU with SSNNL to simplify approvals & speed up project development

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed an MoU with Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) to simplify and speed up the approval process for National Highway projects in Gujarat, while separately introducing comprehensive guidelines for the design and development of access-controlled high-speed National Highways.

The MoU between NHAI and SSNNL aims to establish a simplified and time-bound framework for approvals, strengthen coordination between departments and facilitate the faster execution of National Highway and irrigation infrastructure projects across Gujarat.

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NHAI, SSNNL MoU to speed up highway project approvals in Gujarat

According to an official statement, the agreement is aimed at improving inter-departmental coordination between NHAI and SSNNL and ensuring smoother implementation of infrastructure projects.

The framework is expected to help accelerate both National Highway and irrigation projects in Gujarat while improving implementation efficiency and timelines. It is also expected to reduce the overall financial implications associated with delays and project execution.

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The statement described the agreement as a significant step towards integrated infrastructure planning in Gujarat through closer coordination between the two agencies.

New NHAI guidelines for high-speed National Highways

Meanwhile, NHAI on Monday released comprehensive guidelines for the design and development of access-controlled high-speed National Highways.

The new framework seeks to standardise the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for high-speed highway corridors and bring greater consistency to technical standards across projects.

The guidelines are also aimed at strengthening road safety and improving operational efficiency across the National Highway network.

Lane configuration to depend on traffic assessment

Under the new guidelines, the lane configuration of high-speed National Highways will be standardised based on detailed traffic assessments.

The approach is intended to support smoother traffic movement by taking into account projected traffic requirements while planning the number and configuration of lanes.

The guidelines will apply to all upcoming four-lane and six-lane Greenfield and Brownfield access-controlled high-speed National Highways.

NHAI targets 50,000 km of access-controlled corridors

The new standards are aligned with the government's long-term infrastructure roadmap under Viksit Bharat 2047, which envisages the development of 50,000 km of access-controlled high-speed corridors.

The expansion of such corridors is aimed at improving connectivity and reducing logistics costs by enabling faster and more efficient movement of people and goods.

Why NHAI introduced new highway design standards

NHAI said there are currently no separate standards and specifications specifically governing the planning and design of access-controlled high-speed National Highways, apart from expressways.

As a result, variations have been observed in the standards used while preparing DPRs for such corridors.

The new guidelines seek to address this gap by establishing a uniform set of technical and safety provisions for upcoming projects.

New safety rules for high-speed highway exits and entries

Road safety is a key focus of the new guidelines, with additional provisions introduced to account for the risks associated with high-speed traffic.

Special measures have been prescribed for the advance notification of highway exits and entries. The objective is to give motorists sufficient information about upcoming access and egress points so they can anticipate them and navigate safely.

The standardised approach is expected to improve operational consistency while reducing sudden manoeuvres and potential conflict points on high-speed corridors.


Inputs from PTI