National Highway 6 (India, old numbering)

National Highway 6
National Highway 6
GE Road (Great Eastern Road)
	Map of Old National Highway 6 in red
	Road map of Old National Highway 6 highlighted in solid blue color
Route information
	Part of AH45 AH46
Length	1,949 km (1,211 mi) GQ: 117 km (73 mi) (Kolkata - Kharagpur); Phase III: 358 km (222 mi)
Major junctions
West end	Hajira, Gujarat
East end	Kolkata, West Bengal
Location
Country	India
States	Gujarat: 177 km (110 mi); Maharashtra: 813 km (505 mi); Chhattisgarh: 314 km (195 mi); Odisha: 412 km (256 mi); Jharkhand: 22 km (14 mi); West Bengal: 161 km (100 mi)
Primary; destinations	Surat - Dhule - Jalgaon - Bhusawal -Khamgaon- Akola - Amravati - Nagpur - Bhandara - Durg - Raipur - Mahasamund - Bargarh-Sambalpur - Baharagora - Kolkata
Highway system
	Roads in India; Expressways; National; State; Asian;

National Highway 6 & Economic Corridor 1 (EC1) (commonly referred to as NH6), was a National Highway in India that has been separately designated under the new national highway numbering system. It was officially listed as running over 1,949 km (1,211 mi) from Surat to Kolkata. The route was also known as Asian Highway 46 (AH46) & Mumbai - Kolkata Highway ^[1]^[2] and Great Eastern Highway.^[3]

NH6 ran through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal state in India. The highway passed through the cities of Surat, Dhule, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khamgaon, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara, Rajnandgaon, Durg, Raipur, Mahasamund,Bargarh,Sambalpur, Kharagpur, Kolkata.

New numbering

As of 2010 notification from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, old NH 6 has been renumbered as follows.^[4]

Hajira - Deogarh section is part of new National Highway No. 53
Deogarh - Kharagpur section is part of new National Highway No. 49
Kharagpur - Kolaghat - Kolkata section is part of new National Highway No. 16

Ghat Sections

This route is One of the incomplete Highways of India due to presence of numerous ghat sections between Bangriposi & Sambalpur, crossing mountain & hill ranges of Odisha, Ghats Between Nagpur To Amravati Near Talegaon Village, Karanja (Ghadge), District Wardha in Maharashtra.

Bamanghati between Bangriposi - Jashpur.
Keonjharghati between Keonjhar & Kanjipani.
Kanjipani Ghats between Kanjipani & Deogarh
Ushakoti Ghats between Deogarh & Sambalpur
Talegaon Ghats between Nagpur & Amravati

Junctions

At Palsana, Gujarat Near Surat with NH 8 connecting Delhi - Jaipur - Ahmedabad - Mumbai
At Dhule with NH 3 connecting Agra - Indore - Mumbai
At Dhule with NH 211 connecting Solapur - Aurangabad - Dhule
At Akola with NH 161 connecting Akola - Nanded - Sangareddy - Hyderabad
At Akola with NH 161A connecting Akot - Akola - Digras - Mudkhed - Nanded -
At Nagpur with National Highway 7 (India)(old numbering) connecting Varanasi - Jabalpur - Nagpur - Hyderabad - Bangalore - Kanyakumari
At Nagpur with NH 69 connecting Nagpur - Betul - Obedullaganj near Bhopal
At Raipur with NH 43 connecting Raipur - Jagdalpur - Borigumma - Koraput - Salur - Vizianagaram on NH 5
At Raipur with NH 200 connecting Raipur - Bilaspur - Raigarh - Deogarh- Talcher - Chandikhol
At Raipur with NH 217 connecting Raipur - Titlagarh - Asika - Gopalpur
At Bargarh with NH 201 connecting Borigumma on NH 43 - Bhawanipatna - Balangir - Bargarh
At Sambalpur with NH 42 connecting Sambalpur - Angul - Dhenkanal - Cuttack on NH 5
Near Deogarh with NH 200 ( for Second time ) connecting Raipur - Bilaspur - Raigarh - Deogarh - Talcher - Chandikhol on NH 5
Near Barkote with NH 23 connecting Chas on NH 32 - Ranchi - Raurkela - Barkote - Pal Lahara - Talcher - Nauhata on NH 42
At Pal Lahara with NH 23 connecting Chas on NH 32 - Ranchi - Raurkela - Barkote - Pal Lahara - Talcher - Nauhata on NH 42
At Kendujhargarh with NH 215 connecting Panikoili - Anandapur - Kendujhargarh - Rajamunda on NH 23
At Jharpokharia with NH 5 connectioning Jharpokharia - Cuttack - Vijayawada - Chennai
At Baharagora with NH 33 connecting Baharagora - Jamshedpur - Ranchi - Hazaribag - Barhi on NH 2
At Kharagpur with NH 60 connecting Balasore on NH 5 - Jaleswar - Kharagpur - Bankura - Raniganj - junction with NH 2
At Kolaghat with NH 41 connecting Tamluk - Haldia
At Bally 15 km from Kolkata with NH 2 connecting Bally - Varanasi - Kanpur - Delhi
At Kona 8 km from Kolkata with National Highway 117 connecting Kona - Vidyasagar Setu - Kolkata - Diamond Harbour - Bakkhali

Asian Highway

This highway crossed the AH47 at Dhule and Asian Highway 43 at Nagpur.

States, districts, cities, towns and villages connected

Many cities and towns in various districts in the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal were connected by National Highway 6.

Widening & Shortening

To shorten distance of National Highway 6, 4 lane wide Tatanagar - Rourkela Expressway is planned. This 169 kilometres (105 mi) long expressway will reduce travel time Kolkata & Sambalpur. Currently Kolkata to Sambalpur by road takes 12 hours 30 mins to cover 576 kilometres (358 mi). The Tatanagar - Rourkela Expressway will increase Kolkata to Sambalpur distance to 631 kilometres (392 mi), but will reduce 1 hour 15 minute travel time.

Trivia

The stretch between Barkote and Pal Lahara was common between NH6 and NH 23^{[citation needed]}
NH 200 crossed NH6 at two locations: one at its starting point at Raipur and second at Deogarh^{[citation needed]}
Deogarh-Palasama-Budhapal-Angul Road was originally part of NH53. But pressure from politics made Deogarh Reamal-Rengali Dam Road part of NH53 now.
Tileibani-Pallahara section is combined with both NH49 & NH53.
This Highways runs through 10 major forests & Wildlife sanctuaries.
Accident involving Elephants & other Wildlife with Vehicles are notoriously common in Forest & Ghat sections.