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 from Surat to Kolkata. The route was also known as Asian Highway 46 (AH46) & Mumbai - Kolkata Highway Highways in India Details of National Highways in India-Source-Govt. of India and Great Eastern Highway.
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, Gondia, Amgaon, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Durg, Raipur, Mahasamund, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Kharagpur, Kolkata.
History
Historically, the route from Bangriposi to Gopiballavpur via Baripada was constructed before the 18th century by James Rennell Sahib in 1776. It is still known as Old Kolkata-Mumbai Road prior to 1999 period & it used to go via Kharagpur, Jhargram, Chilkigarh, Chichra, Gopiballavpur, Kandnashol, Murgabadi, near Baripada, Bhajpur Chowk in Bhanjpur, Gangraj, Kalabadia, Pathuri to Bangriposi. In 1999-2002 period, the long Baharagora-Bangriposi Highway via Jharpokharia was constructed & the traffic of Old Mumbai Road shifted on that new stretch. Then Old Mumbai Road lost its importance and NH-6 (Now NH49) became an important route.
New numbering As of 2010 notification from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, old NH 6 has been renumbered as follows.
Hajira - Pal Lahara 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(Kolkata-Chennai Road) Rajnandgaon - Nagpur Stretch is diverted & Dongargarh & Gondia now doesn't fall on NH53.
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 Hazara Ghats between Amgaon & Dongargarh(Stretch of NH6 got excluded from NH53 in 2010) Baghnadi Ghats between Rajnandgaon & Deori 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.
Gujarat Surat district Hazira - Surat - Sachin, Gujarat - Palsana - Bardoli Tapi district Bajipura - Vyara - Songadh
Maharashtra Nandurbar District Navapur - Visarwadi - Kondaibari Dhule District Dahivel - Sakri - Shevali - Ner Dhule - Kusumba - Dhule - Phagne - Mukati Jalgaon District Parola - - Erandol - Paldhi - Varad - Jalgaon- Nashirabad - Bhusawal - Varangaon - Muktainagar Buldhana District Chikhali - Malkapur - Wadner - Nandura - Khamgaon Akola District Balapur - Akola - BorgaonManju - Kurankhed - Murtajapur Amravati District Loni - Badnera - Amravati - Kholapur - Nandgaon Peth - Mozri - Tiwsa Wardha District Talegaon Shyamji Pant - Karanja Nagpur District Kondhali - Bazargaon - Nagpur - Itwari - Mouda Bhandara District Bhandara - Warthi - Khapa - Tumsar(Now is NH543K) Gondia District Dewhadi - Bisri - Tirora - Gondia - Amgaon - Kawarabandh - Salekasa -Darekasa (Now is NH753 & NH543) Chhattisgarh Rajnandgaon District Bortalawo - Paniyaab - Dongargarh - Belgaon - Musra - Sukul Daihan - Dharamapur - Gaurinagar - Chikhali - Rajnandgaon(Now is NH553) Durg District Durg - Bhilai Raipur District Raipur - Arang Mahasamund District Mahasamund - Pithora - Sankra - Basna - Saraipali - Singhora
Odisha Bargarh District Loharachatti - Sohela - Bargarh - Attabira godhbhaga Sambalpur District Burla - Sambalpur - Ushakothi - Jamankira Debagarh District Deogarh - Balam - Barkote Angul District Pal Lahara Kendujhargarh District Govindpur - Kuanr - Kendujhargarh Mayurbhanj District Jashipur - Manda - Bangriposi - Jharpokharia
Jharkhand East Singhbhum District Baharagora
West Bengal
Paschim Medinipur District Jhargram(Chichira - Feko - Lodhashuli - Manikpara) - Kharagpur - Debra Purba Medinipur District Panskura - Kolaghat Howrah District Samta - Bagnan - Uluberia - Panchla - Mahiari - Jagacha - Howrah Kolkata District Kolkata
Widening and shortening To shorten distance of National Highway 6, 4 lane wide Tatanagar - Rourkela Expressway is planned. This long expressway will reduce travel time Kolkata & Sambalpur. Currently Kolkata to Sambalpur by road takes 12 hours 30 mins to cover . The Tatanagar - Rourkela Expressway will increase Kolkata to Sambalpur distance to , but will reduce 1 hour 15 minute travel time.
Trivia The stretch between Barkote and Pal Lahara was common between NH6 and NH 23 NH 200 crossed NH6 at two locations: one at its starting point at Raipur and second at Deogarh 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.
See also List of national highways in India
References
External links Old NH 6 on OpenStreetMap NH 6 on Google Maps NH 6 on MapsofIndia