In a bid to enhance road safety and improve the overall quality of highway construction, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced new directives aimed at ensuring the installation of Metal Beam Crash Barriers (MBCBs) meets stringent standards. These guidelines align with the Indian Road Congress (IRC) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ safety protocols for traffic barriers on National Highways.
Under the new regulations, contractors are required to ensure that the materials used for the crash barriers meet the specifications outlined in crash test reports, and must install them according to manufacturer-provided methodologies. Additionally, contractors must obtain certification from the manufacturers confirming that the barriers installed at project sites conform to prescribed designs, standards, and specifications. To further enhance safety and compliance, contractors must also ensure that the ground layer beneath the barriers is properly compacted.
The NHAI’s guidelines also mandate that the manufacturers of the crash barriers emboss crucial details on each MBCB unit, including the brand name, lot/batch number, grade of steel, and other relevant information. Furthermore, a QR code will be placed on each barrier, allowing anyone on-site to quickly access the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and installation methodology.
In addition to these measures, NHAI has instructed that the authority engineer or independent engineer responsible for approving the MBCBs must verify that the technical specifications align with the design standards established in crash test reports.
Through these new measures, NHAI aims to strengthen construction accountability, ensuring high-quality, reliable installations that improve safety for all road users. These steps are expected to be a key part of NHAI’s ongoing commitment to bettering the infrastructure of National Highways across India.
