New Delhi: The central government has decided to widen the width of all national highways connecting China border to at least 10 meters. All the two-lane national highways (feeder road) leading up to the border would also be widened to 10 meters. This mainly includes national highway projects in Jammu, Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and other hilly areas. Presently two lanes reaching the border are being constructed on National Highway which are 5.5 m wide.
The road transport and highways ministry on Tuesday has changed the standard of width of two-lane national highway in hilly areas especially China border. Along with this, circulars have also been issued to the Chief Engineers of Border Roads Organization (BRO), NHAI, NHAI CPWD and Chief Secretaries of the states. A senior ministry official said that the width of national highways is decided according to traffic pressure. When the number of vehicles is reduced, the width of the two-lane National Highway is widened to 5.5 meters.
In this regard, orders regarding new standards were issued in March 2018, but the Ministry of Defense has objected to this. MoD said that there is a problem in running heavy military vehicles and tanks with logistic materials on the less widened roads in the mountainous terrain. The said vehicles have to run at very slow speed at turns. Therefore, the width of feeder highways leading to hilly areas especially the China border should be increased.
1.5 m paved shoulders on either side of the road
The official said that the width of the two-lane national highway has been widened to 10 meters following the suggestion of the Ministry of Defense. In this, 7 metres with 1.5 metres paved shoulder on either side would be made on both sides of the road. The paved shoulders are made for bicycles, bikes, rickshaws etc.