Highway development across urban corridors demands more than just engineering expertise, argued planners and officials at a conference on “Crash Safety and Physical Planning” in Delhi today. They stressed that urban and transport planners must play a pivotal role in designing and executing highway projects where fast arterials intersect densely populated areas, citing concerns over safety, sustainability, and holistic urban growth.
The Director of the School of Planning and Architecture, speaking at the event, highlighted a recurring issue: highway engineers often lack the training or inclination to rigorously analyse detailed project reports (DPRs). “We found that many National Highways Authority of India personnel struggle to engage deeply with DPRs. Some pass this responsibility to external consultants or treat it as a formality,” said the expert. This shortfall, they noted, can lead to designs that prioritise speed and throughput over urban viability and road safety. The crux of the concern lies in the elevated risk of fatal crashes on highways traversing urban zones—where motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and local traffic intersect. Data presented at the conference showed that casualty rates are disproportionately higher in areas where highways bisect city neighbourhoods, underscoring the need for integrated planning that accounts for mixed road usage.
In response, the School of Planning and Architecture and IIT–Delhi offered proactive solutions. Both institutions have proposed to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways the initiation of pilot projects to co‑evaluate DPRs prepared by NHAI and other agencies. They have also urged the ministry to establish a Centre of Excellence focused on crash investigation and data-driven design—an innovation aimed at fostering safer, smarter road planning. In attendance was the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, who called for a paradigm shift. “We need to move from a reactive, construction‑only mindset to proactive, integrated planning,” the minister emphasised. “Road projects must become multi‑sectoral tools that simultaneously address safety, last‑mile connectivity, land acquisition, urban congestion, and cost optimisation.”
This perspective aligns with broader urban development priorities. India’s cities are expanding rapidly, and highways are increasingly cutting through established residential and commercial areas. Without intentional design, these roads can fracture communities, hinder walkability, escalate pollution, and undermine public transport networks. Transport planners at the conference highlighted the potential of context-sensitive solutions: integrating cycle tracks, pedestrian crossings, bus bays, and noise buffers. “A highway is more than a conduit for vehicles,” one expert remarked. “It must live up to its role as part of a city’s lifeblood, supporting economic activity and protecting residents.”
They also warned against siloed decision‑making. Highway engineers, they said, often adhere to national road standards that emphasise geometry, capacity, and speed, overlooking the realities on the ground. Without input from urban planners and traffic modellers, projects risk being overly rigid, disconnected from local needs, and potentially dangerous. Urban planning advocates recommended a ‘safety‑first’ DPR audit, carried out prior to or alongside tender processes. Such a review would flag issues like missing footbridges, inadequate lighting, or plans that cut off informal local networks. IIT‑Delhi and SPA have both offered to assist in developing and testing such audit tools, modelling a more collaborative governance model between technical agencies and local planning bodies.
Another key area discussed was data. Crash and traffic flow patterns, collected over time, can guide design choices—such as where to include raised medians, truncated left‑turns, or public transit integration. “Timely intervention depends on accurate data,” noted a senior scientist from a leading transport think‑tank. “Without planners at the table, highways become inherited hazards.”Land acquisition and compensation were also identified as pain points. Rapid highway expansion has often displaced households, micro‑enterprises, and small businesses. Calling it “a social as much as an engineering challenge,” urban experts advocated for participatory resettlement plans, ensuring displaced communities continue to access jobs, schools, and amenities.
City governments, they maintained, must be formally included in DPR reviews. In several pilot programmes in other states, municipal authorities successfully integrated urban mobility visions—such as bus rapid transit, last‑mile feeder buses, and car‑free zones—within highway corridors, delivering multi‑modal, climate‑friendly infrastructure. The minister expressed openness to the proposals, urging agencies to pilot integrated DPR review committees with urban planners, safety auditors, ecologists, and community representatives. A working group will now be formed under the ministry to map out next steps, including potential revisions to the standard operating procedures for national and state highways.
The interventions proposed may have a ripple effect beyond safety outcomes. By embedding sustainable and equitable design at the DPR stage, highway projects can contribute to India’s national goals—reducing emissions, enabling walkable neighbourhoods, and ensuring that expanding transport networks do not undercut public health or access. Leading urbanists stressed that the challenge is not only technical but also institutional. Incentivising collaboration, refining procurement frameworks to reward inclusive design, and building capacity within highways agencies will be critical. As one planner put it, “We must rebuild the culture of highway development from ‘build fast’ to ‘build smart and fair’.”
How India implements this new roadmap may define the future of its urban corridors. With highways set to crisscross hundreds of towns in the coming decade, ensuring they are safe, sustainable, and serviced by communities—not just asphalt—will determine whether cities remain cohesive or fragmented by speed. The conference closed with a consensus that the time has come to integrate urban and transport expertise in highway projects. The decision by Delhi officials to act on this call could reshape the trajectory of infrastructure governance nationwide, making roads not only faster—but safer, greener, and more equitable.
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