Mittraphap Road

{{Short description|Road in Thailand}}

{{infobox road

|country = THA

|type = R

|route = 2

|map = 200px

|map_custom = yes

|alternate_name = ถนนมิตรภาพ Thanon Mittraphap
"Friendship Highway"

|length_km = 509.113

|direction_a = Southwest

|direction_b = Northeast

|terminus_a = 20px Phahonyothin Rd., Mueang Saraburi, Saraburi

|junction =

|terminus_b = Nong Khai, First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

|formed = 1957

|provinces =Saraburi, Nakhon Ratchasima
Khon Kaen
Udon Thani, Nong Khai

|ahn = {{Jct|country=THA|AH|12}}

}}

Mittraphap Road ({{Langx|th|ถนนมิตรภาพ}}, {{RTGS|Thanon Mittraphap}}, {{IPA|th|tʰā.nǒn mít.trā.pʰâːp|pron}}; {{langx|tts|ถนนมิตรภาพ}}, {{IPA|lo|tʰā.nǒn mìt.tā.pʰâːp|pron}}) or Highway 2 ({{Langx|th|ทางหลวงแผ่นดินหมายเลข 2}}, {{RTGS|Thang Luang Phaendin Mailek Song}}) is one of the four primary highways in Thailand, along with Phahonyothin Road (Highway 1), Sukhumvit Road (Highway 3), and Phetkasem Road (Highway 4). It runs from Saraburi to Nong Khai.

The road was originally built from Khorat to Nong Khai by the United States in 1955–1957{{cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Chris |last2=Phongpaichit |first2=Pasuk |title=A History of Thailand |date=2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521759151 |page=156 |edition=2nd, paper}} at a cost of US$20 million to supply its northeastern military bases.{{cite book |last1=Keyes |first1=Charles F |title=Cornell Thailand Project; Interim Reports Series, No. 10|date=March 1967 |publisher=Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University|location=Ithaca |url=https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/57533/065.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |accessdate=16 August 2019 |chapter=Isan: Regionalism in Northeastern Thailand}}{{RP|56-57}}

It is the first highway in Thailand to meet international standards, and the first highway in Thailand to use both asphalt and concrete. It received the name "Thanon Mittraphap" on 20 February 1957. The name literally means "Friendship Road". It is the main road that connects Isan (northeastern Thailand) across the Dong Phaya Yen Range. The highway begins at Saraburi, Phahonyothin Road (Highway 1) junction. It passes through the provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and ends in Nong Khai, where it links with the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge to Laos.

Image:Mittaphap.gif|Six-lane expanded Mittraphap Road near Lam Takhong, Nakhon Ratchasima

Image:Mittraphap Highway in Nong Khai.JPG|Mittraphap Highway in Nong Khai

File:Thai-Lao-Freundschaftsbruecke.jpg|Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge