SpotGenie Fact: India’s First Wildlife-Safe Road, NH-45 (Madhya Pradesh)

India’s transport infrastructure has taken an important step toward balancing development and wildlife protection.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has implemented a wildlife-safe highway design on a forested section of National Highway 45 (NH-45) near Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, the first of its kind in the country.

Where Is This Wildlife-Safe Road?

• Highway: National Highway 45 (NH-45)
• State: Madhya Pradesh
• Section: Bhopal–Jabalpur, Hiran–Sindoor stretch
• Length: ~11.96 km around Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve
• Wildlife Zones: Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve & Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary

What Makes This Road “Wildlife-Safe”?

1. Table-Top Red Markings

For the first time in India, table-top red road markings have been introduced on a national highway.

• These are 5 mm thick, bright red thermoplastic markings applied across the road surface.
• The slight elevation and bold colour alert drivers that they are entering a wildlife-sensitive zone, naturally slowing vehicles without abrupt braking.
• This design is highly visible and intended to reduce both human and animal collisions.

2. 25 Wildlife Underpasses

• A network of 25 dedicated underpasses has been constructed under the highway.
• These allow animals to move safely beneath the road along their natural paths rather than crossing the surface.
• Underpasses are positioned at strategic crossing points identified through wildlife movement patterns.

3. Protective Fencing

• Eight-foot-high iron fencing runs along both sides of this stretch.
• The fencing channels animals toward underpasses and discourages road crossing at uncontrolled points.

4. Integrated Safety Design

Beyond markings and underpasses, the highway design also incorporates:

• Speed-calming measures to prevent high-speed collisions
• Visual alerts for wildlife zones
• Integration with the Green Highways Policy (2015) of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, supporting sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure.

Why This Innovation Is Important

• This stretch passes through one of central India’s critical tiger habitats, home to tigers, deer, sambars, jackals, and other forest fauna.
• Roads often act as barriers that isolate wildlife and increase the risk of animal–vehicle collisions.
• The new design addresses both human safety and wildlife conservation, creating a model that could be replicated on other national highways that intersect ecological corridors.

SpotGenie

Transport infrastructure can coexist with nature when design and policy align.
This first wildlife-safe highway stretch proves that road safety and wildlife protection need not be mutually exclusive, a principle SpotGenie also embodies by helping drivers stay reachable, responsible, and safe.

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