6th Ring Road (Beijing)

The Northeastern 6th Ring Road (July 2004 image)
The 6th Ring Road and the Jingha Expressway (taken in July 2004)
The western stretch of the Southern 6th Ring Road (taken in December 2004)
The southern stretch of the Western 6th Ring Road (taken in December 2004)

The 6th Ring Road (Chinese: 六环路; pinyin: Liùhuán Lù) is an expressway ring road in Beijing, China which runs around the city approximately 15–20 kilometres (9.3–12.4 mi) from the centre of the city. The 6th Ring Road is approximately 220 kilometres (140 mi) long.[1][2][3]

The road is numbered G4501 and as such is strictly speaking considered a peripheral segment of the G45 Daqing-Guangzhou Expressway. The full circle of the Sixth Ring Road was opened for regular traffic in September 12, 2009.[1]

Route

The 6th Ring Road runs within the confines of the municipality of Beijing. It is one of the most circular routes but still remarkably rectangular. Basic Route: Liuyuan Bridge - Liqiaozhen - Sanhui Bridge - Zhangjiawan - Majuqiao - Huangcun - Liangxiang - Mentougou - Zhaikou/Wenquan - Xishatun - Gaoliying - Huosiying - Liuyuan Bridge

It is on the outer fringes of Beijing, and even beyond Beijing Capital International Airport. The expressway ring road is the only one to link with the equally remote Tongyan Expressway.

History

As early as 2000 or 2001, the southeastern stretch from Sanhui Bridge (interchange with the Jingha Expressway) through to Majuqiao (interchange with the Jingjintang Expressway) was put into operation. The route was first referred to as the projected 2nd Expressway Ring Road, much like the 5th Ring Road was once referred to as the 1st Expressway Ring Road; however, the long name was ditched in favour of the present-day 6th Ring Road.

By 2002, a road section starting in Xishatun (interchange with the Badaling Expressway) through to Sanhui Bridge, as well as a stretch from Majuqiao through to Huangcun/Shuangyuan Bridge (interchange with the Jingkai Expressway), were complete and opened to the general public.

Another 43 km of the expressway ring road opened behind schedule (the portion linking it up with the Jingshi Expressway and ultimately ending in Liangxiang in December 2004 and the section from the Badaling Expressway to Wenquan/Zhaikou in Mentougou in early January 2005). They were slated for a November 2004 opening. In the first case, the expressway was opened on December 20, 2004, at 14:00 local time, with over a month's delay. The entire road was opened in 2010.

Road conditions

Speed limit

The minimum speed limit of 50 km/h, maximum 100 km/h, throughout. Potential speed checks at Zhangjiawan and 500 metres to the east of Yongdingmen/Langfang exit; otherwise, none. It is not rare for passenger cars to zip well in excess of that speed limit, while to see lorries underperform in speed.

Southwestern 6th Ring Road: carriageway-separated; note: there are no "overtaking lanes" on this part of the ring road; left lane, maximum speed limit 100 km/h, minimum 80 km/h, designated "car only"; right lane, maximum speed limit 100 km/h, minimum 60 km/h, designated "carriageway".

Tolls

CNY 0.5/km, minimum charge of CNY 5, based on price for a small passenger vehicle. There have been (a few) calls to eradicate all toll gates within the confines of, and including, the 6th Ring Road. However, little to no action has been taken on this matter.
The 6th Ring Road is linked with Jingshi, Jingcheng, and Jingkai Expressways toll systems.

Lanes

4 lanes (2 in each direction) throughout.

Surface conditions

Generally excellent.

Traffic conditions

The traffic is usually very smooth; however, on weekends, tourists flock to suburban districts causing occasional traffic jams. The exit at Baige Bridge is also usually jammed due to heavy police presence at the exit. Car crashes also cause rare traffic jams.

Major exits

Xishatun, Gaoliying, Sanhui Bridge, Zhangjiawan, Majuqiao, Huangcun/Shuanghui Bridge, Liuyuan Bridge

Service areas

None; Beihuofa Service Area is projected (E. 6th Ring Road), as is a gas station on the Southwestern 6th Ring Road

Connections

Vast distances

At a distance of 20 kilometres from the centre of town, the expressway covers a much larger distance than the inner ring roads. Equally large is the distance between two points.

For example, the distance between Jingtong Expressway to Jingshen Expressway is approximately 2 kilometres on the 4th Ring Road. It expands to nearly 4 kilometres on the 5th Ring Road. On the 6th Ring Road, 10 kilometres elapse from one expressway to the other—and the Jingtong to Jingshen Expressway (on the 6th Ring Road, the Jingha to Jingshen Expressway) is one of the shortest distances between expressways in Beijing.

Anything up to 30 - 35 kilometres can lapse between the Jingcheng Expressway and the Jingha Expressway.

For most people, travel on the 6th Ring Road is extremely rare. Although, strictly speaking, it's still on the perimeters of city limits, this is one massive ring road for a motorist to travel around.

List of exits

Symbols: ↗ = exit (↩ = exit present only heading clockwise, ↪ = anticlockwise); ✕ = closed exit; ⇆ = main interchange; ¥ = central toll gate; S = service area; Listed are exits heading clockwise from northwestern starting point at Xishatuan

Northern 6th Ring Road

Eastern 6th Ring Road

Southern 6th Ring Road

Western 6th Ring Road

References

  1. 1 2 "Beijing's Sixth Ring Road opens to traffic". news.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  2. ↑ "File:Beijing 6th ring road 1 - Coppermine - 5185.JPG". sabre-roads.org.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "The 6th Ring Road of Beijing (Hugezhuang-Xisha village)". ranken.com.cn. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
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