'm GOVERNMENT OF INDIAMINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYSPalivahan Bhavan,

1, Sansad MargNew Delhi 11ooo1

F. No.

TO,

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Dated: the L.i l\- June,2015

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The Chief Secretaries of a1l the State covernments/ UTsThe Principal Secretaries/ Secretaries of all States/ UTs public WorksDepartment dealing with National Highways, other centrally sponsoredschemes.A11 Engineers-in-Chief and Chief Engineers of pubtic Works Department ofStates/ UTs dealing with National Highways, other centrally sponsoredschemes.The Director ceneral (Border Roads), Seema Sadak Bhawan, Ring Road, NewDelhi 11o o10.The Chairman, National Highways Authority of Inclia, c_5 & 6, Sector-1o,Dwarka, New Delhi-110 o75.The Managing Director, NHIDCL, pTI Building, New Delhi_110oo1

Subject: Capacity augmentation of National Highways from Two_lane toFour -lane

Capacity analysis is fundamental to the planning, design and operation ofNational Highways and provides among other things, the basis for determining thecarriageway width to be provided at any point of time with respect to the volumeand composition of traffic. Moreover, it is an important tool for evaluation of theinvestments needed for future constl.uction and improvements and for working outpriorities of road projects.2. IRC:64 stipulates that under normal circumstances, use of Level of Sefvice Bis considered adequate for the design of rural highways. At this level, volume oftraffic will be around o.5 times the maximum capacity and this is taken as the"design service volume" for the purpose of adopting design values. The designservice volume that is considered for capacity augmentation/improvement of ahighway is the expected volume at the eDd of the design life. This is computed byprojecting the present volume at an appropriate traffic growth rate, which isestablished after extrapolation from past trends and potential for future growth oftrarrlc. IKU:S?:73 prescribes the design service volume for a 2_lane highway.3. However, Ministry vide Circular no NH_14otg l6/2o12_p&M dated5'n october, 2o12 had decided that, henceforth, whenever new proiects of

Rw/NH-33o44/28l2o1slS&R (R)

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' wideDing/bypass/realignment are taken up, the width of the carriageway shall beatleast two rane with paved shourders i.,espective of the trarric tnereon,,.4, As per practice, once the maximum capacity of a .oad is reached, it isgenerally at that time, pranning for capacity augmentation to r,evet of service B isundertaken. By the time the road is upgraded io tf," l,oi i"_, ,n*" are trafficrestrictions and the speeds are reasonab$low which is avaitabte as per Level ofservice c, D or E. Besides, at this leve1, even u

"lnuu ilra."ur" in traffic volumewould lead to forced flow situations and even breakdowns within the trafficstream.5. Accordingly, it has been decided in the Ministry that the planning forupgradation of the existing 2-rane highways with paved shoulaer snatt be startedbefore the end of design life, so tllat by the time the ,fr"".i"ia ..p..i,V of the roadis reached the 4 tane highway will be already construct"d. ;";G there will be nodiscomfort to the road users and the Level of Service s _o.,Ld-;"o be achieved.The traffic at which upgradation from 2_lane with paved shoulder to 41ane willtrigger, is indicated in Table below

Table

Nature of Terrain

Piain

Traffic at whichupgradation tofour lane willtrigger (in pCUsper day)15, OO O

\oUing 11, O OOMountainous/steep B, ooo

6. The contents of this Circutar nay be brought to the notice of all colcerned inyour organization.7. This issues with the approval of Competent Authoritv_

**t*L'(am$anshulAsst. Executive Engineer (S, R&T) (Roads)

For Director ceneral (Road Development.) & SS

' '. Copy to:

1. AII Technical officers in the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways2. A11 ROs and ELOS of the Ministry3. The Secretary General, Indian Roads Congress4. The Director, IAHE5. Technical circular file of S&R (R) Section6. NIC-for uploading on Ministry's website under "What's new"

copy for kind information to:

1. PS to Hon'ble Minister (RTH&S)2. PS to Hon'ble MoS (RTH&S)3. Sr. PPS to Secretary (RT&H)4. PPS tO DG (RD) & SS5. PPS to SS&FA6. PS to ADG-I/ ADG-II7. PS tO JS (T)/ JS (H)/ JS (LA&C)/JS (EIC)