G4501 Beijing 6th Ring Expressway

The 6th Ring Road is an expressway ring road in Beijing, China, which runs around the city approximately from the center of the city. The 6th Ring Road is approximately long.
The road is numbered G4501 and is considered a peripheral segment of the G45 Daqing-Guangzhou Expressway. The Sixth Ring Road was opened for regular traffic on 12 September 2009.

Route

The 6th Ring Road runs within the confines of the municipality of Beijing.
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 through to Majuqiao 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, that name was abandoned in favour of the present-day 6th Ring Road.
By 2002, a road section starting in Xishatun through to Sanhui Bridge, as well as a stretch from Majuqiao through to Huangcun/Shuangyuan Bridge, were complete and opened to the general public.
Another 43 km of the expressway ring road opened behind schedule. 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.
To re-connect several break-of-roads in sub-center region, Beijing Municipality government decided in 2019 that part of eastern 6th Ring, approximately 16 km, will be widened from 4-lane bidirectional to 6-lane, of which the middle 9.2km section will renovate as an underground section. After renovation, the on-ground sections will be re-constructed as a high line park. In September 2020, the biggest tunnel boring machine in China was built in Changsha to join the renovation works.

Road conditions

Speed limit

The speed limit is set between a minimum of 50 kilometers per hour and a maximum of 100 km/h. Potential speed checks at Zhangjiawan and 500 metres to the east of Yongdingmen/Langfang exit; otherwise, none. Some drivers may exceed the speed limit, while others may travel below it.
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

0.5/km, minimum charge of CNY 5, based on price for a small passenger vehicle. There have been 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

Most sections are having 4 lanes. There are some sections that were later widened to be 6 lanes.

Traffic & Surface 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. Surface conditions are generally excellent.

Major exits

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

Service areas

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

Connections

S32 Jingping Expressway: Liqiaozhen.
China National Highway 102 : Sanhui Bridge.
G1 Beijing–Harbin Expressway: Zhangjiawan.
Jingjintang Expressway: Majuqiao.
G45 Daqing–Guangzhou Expressway: Huangcun, Shuangyuan Bridge, Gaoliying.
G4 Beijing–Hong Kong and Macau Expressway: Liyuan Bridge.
Badaling Expressway: Xishatun.
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 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 is still on the perimeters of city limits, this is one massive ring road for a motorist to travel around.