Motorway 6 (Thailand)

The Elevated section of Motorway 6 as it passes alongside the Lam Takhong Reservoir

Motorway 6 or the Bang Pa-in–Nakhon Ratchasima Motorway is an under-construction controlled-access highway, part of the Thai motorway network. It will serve as the arterial link from the capital city of Bangkok to the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, which serves as the gateway to the entire northeastern region.

The motorway begins with links from Kanchanaphisek Road (Motorway 9) and Phahonyothin Road (Highway 1), near the Bang Pa-in Interchange in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province north of Bangkok, and leads northeast through Saraburi Province, passing through the Dong Phaya Yen pass before entering the Khorat Plateau and terminating at Nakhon Ratchasima Bypass Road (Highway 204). It runs a distance of 196 kilometres (122 mi),^[1] with elevated sections as it passes through the mountains, including one where it is elevated over Mittraphap Road as it runs along the edge of the Lam Takhong Reservoir.^[2][3]

The project was conceived in 1997 as part of the national highway network master plan (and one of three segments serving the northeast region), but construction only began in 2016. It was originally scheduled for completion in 2020, and construction was reported to be 96 percent complete by then,^[4] but the project faced delays due to outdated information from surveys conducted since 2008, necessitating modifications to the designs and extensions of the budget. It is now expected to open in 2025.^[5][1]

References

1. "Highways Department seeks THB6.7 billion more funds for Korat motorway". The Nation. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
2. "Bang Pa-in - Nakhon Ratchasima Intercity Motorway Project: Project Details". motorway-m6.com. Department of Highways. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
3. "โครงการทางหลวงพิเศษระหว่างเมือง สายบางปะอิน-นครราชสีมา (M6) – Intercity Motorway Projects". doh-motorway.com (in Thai). Department of Highways. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
4. Tangprasert, Prasit (18 June 2020). "Korat motorway to open by year's end". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
5. "มอเตอร์เวย์ "บางปะอิน" สร้างอืด-งบบาน 6.7 พันล้าน ทล.แจงตรวจปรับแบบจบแล้ว คาดชง ครม.ใน ก.ย.นี้". Manager Online (in Thai). 1 September 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2023.