NHAI issues standard design rules for barrier-free tolling on highways of four lanes and above

6 November 2026

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued guidelines to standardise the design and infrastructure of toll plazas.
They apply to national highways with four or more lanes that will use Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling.
MLFF charges a vehicle without making it stop at a physical barrier, so fewer lanes are needed than at a conventional plaza.
The rules cover plaza layout, lane configuration, gantries, lighting, signage and auxiliary facilities.
They also require an administrative building-cum-operations and maintenance centre at each plaza, and advance information to drivers through Electronic Variable Message Signs (VMS).
Projects still at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage will build the new design into their documents, while ongoing projects will adopt it through contract provisions.
The stated aims are to end queues and waiting at plazas, cut fuel use and make highway travel safer.