NHAI Ties Up with National Test House to Improve Quality of Highway Projects

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Test House (NTH) to enhance quality assurance mechanisms in the construction and maintenance of National Highway projects across the country. The move reflects the government’s growing emphasis on improving durability, safety, and uniform standards in highway infrastructure.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the partnership aims to ensure that construction materials and systems used in highway projects strictly comply with prescribed national and international standards. Under the agreement, independent testing and certification will be carried out to verify the quality of materials used at various stages of project execution.

The MoU was signed at the NHAI Headquarters in New Delhi by Vipensh Sharma, Member (Projects), NHAI, and Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General of the National Test House. The signing took place in the presence of NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, along with senior officials from both organisations.

The National Test House, a central government testing organisation under the Department of Consumer Affairs, will play a key role in testing and certifying materials in accordance with specifications laid down by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Bureau of Indian Standards. This is expected to bring greater consistency in quality control across highway projects, irrespective of location or contractor.

In addition to material testing, the NTH will provide technical expertise to NHAI offices during project execution. Experts from the organisation will assist the NHAI Headquarters, Regional Offices, and Project Implementation Units by evaluating complex engineering issues on-site and offering technical opinions in real time. This support is expected to help resolve technical challenges more efficiently and reduce quality-related disputes during construction.

A notable aspect of the collaboration is its focus on safety and sustainability. The partnership includes checks on the reliability and energy efficiency of critical road safety assets such as street lighting systems. By extending quality assurance beyond civil works to electrical and safety systems, the initiative aims to improve long-term performance and reduce maintenance costs.

The MoU also places emphasis on capacity building and knowledge sharing. The National Test House will conduct training programmes for NHAI officers and other stakeholders involved in highway development, focusing on best practices in material testing, quality management, and large-scale infrastructure execution.

The collaboration comes amid increased scrutiny of highway construction quality and aligns with the government’s broader push for stricter supervision, third-party verification, and accountability in public infrastructure projects. Officials said the partnership would help institutionalise uniform quality standards across India’s expanding national highway network.

“The collaboration underscores NHAI’s commitment to adhering to the highest standards of quality while delivering reliable and world-class National Highway infrastructure across the country,” the ministry said.