NHAI’s new rule to ensure top-quality highways

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has implemented a new rule mandating the use of Automated and Intelligent Machine-Aided Construction (AI-MC) technology for all highway projects exceeding 20 km in length and costing more than Rs 500 crore, as part of efforts to address ongoing quality issues in government-funded projects.

According to an NHAI circular, contractors are now required to utilize the AI-MC system throughout each stage of road construction, encompassing the embankment, subgrade, and Granular Sub-Base (GSB), the initial layer of crushed stone, sand, and gravel. This technology, which integrates on-board computers and sensors within heavy machinery like graders, pavers, compactors, and dozers, aims to enhance the quality, durability, and transparency of highway construction by replacing manual monitoring with real-time, data-driven execution and quality control.

Launched initially on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, the new rule seeks to close the gap between pilot projects and full-scale implementation by enforcing continuous, sensor-driven quality checks, thereby minimizing human error, promoting uniform construction standards, and generating comprehensive digital records of every construction phase.

By compelling contractors to share real-time data with NHAI officials, the mandate intends to mitigate the potential for substandard practices and increase accountability throughout the highway construction sector.