Centre asks states to notify measures to curb congestion on highways

India's Union government is directing states to enact regulations aimed at controlling highway congestion, a problem exacerbated by unplanned roadside development. The policy calls for establishing 15-meter "no-development buffers" along all future ring roads and bypasses. Additionally, construction will be regulated within a wider two-kilometer "influence zone" surrounding these corridors.

This urban decongestion strategy seeks to ensure that future projects are fully access-controlled, featuring at least four lanes and closed tolling systems. The objective is to maintain high operating speeds, ideally between 100-120 kmph, by separating long-distance traffic from local urban movement. This approach aims to prevent the scenario where bypasses quickly become congested due to the proliferation of buildings, shops, and local roads along their edges.

The Union road transport and highways ministry is also encouraging greater state involvement in funding these projects. Proposed cost-sharing models include a 50:50 split for land acquisition, land pooling, reimbursement of state GST and royalties, and a value-capture mechanism. This mechanism allows governments to recoup some of the increased land value generated by highway projects to reinvest in infrastructure.

Concerns have been mounting as bypasses and ring roads often lose their effectiveness within a decade. Assessments have shown significant speed reductions in urban centers, with 80 out of 500,000+ population cities experiencing over a 10% drop in highway speeds. Examples like Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road illustrate how infrastructure designed to ease traffic can become a source of new congestion.