New Delhi: With the aim to modernize the national highways across the country, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited bids for the appointment of consultants to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the implementation of smart highway lighting on national highways.

The initiative aims to significantly enhance road safety by improving visibility at critical locations, including urban stretches, medians, and junctions, thereby helping to reduce accidents. Beyond safety, the project will also support the objectives of the National Renewable Energy Policy by integrating solar power to lower operational energy costs and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the highway network in the nation.

The selected consultant will carry out an extensive baseline assessment, including a survey of approximately 50,000 km of national highways. A key objective of the exercise is to identify black spots and vulnerable locations in order to prioritize improvements along nearly 5,000 km of the most critical highway stretches.

The project proposes a transition to advanced technologies, including:

• – Implementation of Centralised Control and Monitoring Systems (CCMS) along with sensor-based adaptive lighting that automatically dims or brightens based on traffic density and ambient light conditions.
• – Solar resource analysis using GIS tools to assess the feasibility of grid-tied and hybrid solar PV-LED systems.
• – Development of detailed technical specifications for luminaires, poles, and energy storage systems for use in future national highway tenders.

According to the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT), the consultancy assignment is expected to be completed within six months.

As per the tender schedule, the pre-bid meeting will be held on January 5, 2026, while the last date for submission of bids is January 27. The technical bids are scheduled to be opened on January 28.

To be eligible, sole applicants or lead partners in a joint venture must have a minimum average annual turnover of Rs 10 crore during the last three financial years. In addition, bidders are required to demonstrate experience in preparing DPRs or executing smart street or highway lighting projects for government organisations within the past seven years. DeshBharat