NHAI Strengthens Highway Quality Checks Amid Early Defects; PM-Inaugurated Projects To Face 6-Month Quality Checks

Questions over the quality of newly opened highways have prompted the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to tighten its monitoring mechanism for projects inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Under the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), highways and other major projects inaugurated or opened to traffic by the Prime Minister will now face six months of intensive monitoring. Any defects identified during this period will have to be reported and rectified promptly.

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Why NHAI Changed The Rules

The move comes after quality-related issues were reported on some recently inaugurated infrastructure projects. In April this year, the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway was inaugurated by PM Modi, but cracks were reported on some stretches within three months. Similar concerns have also been raised over other major highway projects, including the Ganga Expressway.

Since projects inaugurated by the Prime Minister attract significant public and political attention, defects appearing soon after their opening can quickly become a major issue.

Taking lessons from such instances, NHAI has added new provisions to its existing SOP for projects involving the Prime Minister's inauguration or foundation stone-laying ceremonies.

Weekly Checks For First Three Months

Under the revised guidelines, the concerned Project Manager of the concessionaire and the Team Leader of the supervising consultant, either the Authority Engineer or Independent Engineer, will jointly inspect the project section.

These inspections will be carried out:

- Every week during the first three months

- Every fortnight for the next three months

The teams will specifically check pavement and riding quality, drainage systems, safety installations and embankment gradients, among other aspects.

Defects To Be Geo-Tagged

NHAI has also directed route patrol vehicles to regularly monitor highways after they are opened to traffic.

Any existing or potential defect spotted during patrols will have to be geo-tagged and immediately reported to the Project Director, concessionaire and supervising engineer.

The concerned Project Implementation Unit will then be responsible for ensuring that remedial work is completed within the required timeframe.

Third-Party Audit May Be Required

The revised SOP also provides for independent audits of certain major projects before their inauguration.

Greenfield expressways, high-speed corridors and projects with a capital cost exceeding Rs 2,500 crore may be assessed by reputed third-party institutions to identify possible issues related to traffic movement, drainage and other post-opening concerns.

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NHAI has suggested institutions such as IITs and NITs for carrying out these assessments.

SOP Has Been Revised Multiple Times

NHAI already had guidelines governing projects for which the Prime Minister lays the foundation stone or conducts the inauguration. The relevant SOP was issued in April 2023 and subsequently revised in October 2023, 2024 and 2025.

However, the earlier versions did not contain a specific provision for intensive post-inauguration monitoring.

The latest revision states that the additional guidelines have been introduced based on the "experience and lessons learned during recent inauguration/foundation stone laying ceremonies."

The new six-month monitoring mechanism is aimed at ensuring that major highway projects remain safe, functional and free of avoidable defects after being opened to the public.