Right-of-way (ROW) in open country: The normal road land width to be acquired for a National or State Highway in open areas should be approximately what?

Introduction / Context:Right-of-way (ROW) is the width of land permanently acquired for a highway. It must contain the carriageway, shoulders, side slopes, drainage, utilities, future widening, and safety zones. In open (non-urban) areas, wider ROW is preferred because land acquisition is comparatively feasible and future expansion can be planned economically.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Facility type: National or State Highway.
• Location: open areas (rural), not constrained by dense development.
• Design requires present and future needs to be accommodated.

Concept / Approach:

Traditional Indian practice has adopted a typical ROW of about 45 m in open country for higher-class highways, allowing carriageway, shoulders, side drains, landscaping, median (if divided), and future widening (e.g., from 2-lane to 4-lane). Narrower widths are used in built-up or constrained corridors, but not as a norm in open terrain for NH/SH.

Step-by-Step Reasoning:

Verification / Alternative check:

Feasibility and DPR templates typically adopt 45 m in rural stretches unless special environmental or land constraints exist, in which case project-specific values are justified.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 30 m, 24 m, 20 m: more common in urban/built-up areas or constrained corridors; insufficient for long-term expansion in open terrain.

Common Pitfalls:

• Confusing rural ROW with urban right-of-way or only carriageway width; ROW is much larger than paved width.

Final Answer:

45 m.