Hyderabad <-> Chennai : Best route, time, distance & road conditions

[manavdotcom]

Oops It's Srisailam, not Sirsi..

[varghesepaul]

Hello All:

I am planning a trip from Hyderabad to Chennai next week and wanted to know what would be the route that i should take. I am travelling with family and would prefer safe, good roads where there are places i can stop even if it is a bit longer.

Also, the kms and if i can complete this journey in a day. Any road updates or things that i should watch out for will be helpful.

Thanks

Varghese

[straightdrive]

Hi Varghese. I think the best route for you would be via Vijayawada, Guntur and Ongole. It is about 700 km but good roads - especially NH5 from Vijayawada to Chennai which is part of the Golden Quadrilateral.

Originally Posted by varghesepaul

Hello All:

I am planning a trip from Hyderabad to Chennai next week and wanted to know what would be the route that i should take. I am travelling with family and would prefer safe, good roads where there are places i can stop even if it is a bit longer.

Also, the kms and if i can complete this journey in a day. Any road updates or things that i should watch out for will be helpful.

Thanks

Varghese

[bblost]

Requesting updates for December 2008.

[zulfikar]

Pls update the best route i should take for Hyd- Chennai...

how are road condition.

i would be leaving for chennai on 21th or 22nd of this month...

[sreenivass]

Originally Posted by zulfikar

Pls update the best route i should take for Hyd- Chennai...

how are road condition.

i would be leaving for chennai on 21th or 22nd of this month...

Zulfikar, I'd suggest you take Narketpally route if you are familiar with it and do not driver really fast. If you have to , please expect speed bumps while entering and exiting towns and villages. In addition I'd slow down and be on lookout for pot holes and craters between Piduguralla and Addanki. This is based on my experience driving HYD-Ongole a few times over last three years.

[vnabhi]

Guys,

I'm planning a trip to Tirupati in end March.Can anyone guide me on which is the best route?
I am aware that there are 3 routes:-

1. via Narketpalli, Adanki,NH5 and branch off somewhere to Renigunta (not sure where)
2. via Kurnool, Nandyal, Rayachoti, and branch of somewhere to Tirupati (not sure where on this route either)
3. Via Kurnool, Gooty and Madanapalle

Approx distances and road conditions will surely be helpful.
Thanks

[IndianNomad]

Checked mapmyindia.com got the following route

Hyderabad - Kurnool - Cuddapah - Rayachoti - Tirupati. Total of 580Kms

Checked with some non T-Bhp members, suggested the same route.

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Guys,

I'm planning a trip to Tirupati in end March.Can anyone guide me on which is the best route?
I am aware that there are 3 routes:-

1. via Narketpalli, Adanki,NH5 and branch off somewhere to Renigunta (not sure where)
2. via Kurnool, Nandyal, Rayachoti, and branch of somewhere to Tirupati (not sure where on this route either)
3. Via Kurnool, Gooty and Madanapalle

Approx distances and road conditions will surely be helpful.
Thanks

Originally Posted by sreenivass

Zulfikar, I'd suggest you take Narketpally route if you are familiar with it and do not driver really fast. If you have to , please expect speed bumps while entering and exiting towns and villages. In addition I'd slow down and be on lookout for pot holes and craters between Piduguralla and Addanki. This is based on my experience driving HYD-Ongole a few times over last three years.

I used the Narketpally-Nalgonda-Miryalguda-Pidugralla route to get to Guntur via Sattenapalle and I can say the road is good upto Pidugralla & thereafter to Guntur (watch out for the speed breakers though). A slightly more detailed road report is in my Travelogue to Suryalanka at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ch-resort.html (Suryalanka: Beach Resort). My post is a reply in that thread and is dated 27 January 2009.

If the bit between Pidugralla and Addanki is very bad, you may consider getting to Guntur and hitting the NH5 there.

I have no clue about the roads via. Kurnool, Nandyal/Gooty etc. and will let our other members throw some light on that.

Cheers and happy driving.

[vnabhi]

Thanks IndianNomad and Raaveendrra. I'd prefer the route suggested by IndianNomad as I'd almost decided to travel to Chennai a year back on that route, after getting inputs on this forum.

However, I'd read that the road from Rayachoti to Tirupati was not that good at that point of time (although the road to Chennai from Rayachoti via Chittoor was reportedly awesome).
Travelling via Guntur may be much longer that that route.

Any road condition updates, guys?

[ksrchowdary]

Originally Posted by IndianNomad

Hyderabad - Kurnool - Cuddapah - Rayachoti - Tirupati. Total of 580Kms

There is a better route via Rajampet. The route is ~ 550 Kms and will be through NH7 - NH18 - SH12 - NH205.

Hyderabad - Zadcherla - Kurnool (turn left onto NH18) - Panyam - Nandyala - Allagadda - Maidukuru - Cuddapah(turn left onto SH12 approx. 3-4 kms before Cuddapah) - Vontimitta - Rajampet - (Railway)Koduru - Renigunta - Tirupati.

We went through this route in first week of Dec 08. We started at Panjagutta around 8 PM on 5th Dec and reached Titupati by 6AM next morning.

Till Kurnool (210 Kms) the route is pretyy good with 4 laning work going on.
From Kurnool to Cuddapah (196 Kms) road is decent with occasional potholes.
From Cuddapah to Tirupati(140 Kms), its a wide and smooth road with 100 KMPH design speed.


While returning, we came via Guntur(to attend a marriage). The route is ~ 650 Kms

Tirupati - SriKalahasti - Naidupeta (Turn left onto NH5) - Gudur - Nellore - Ongole - Guntur - Piduguralla - Miryal guda - Narkatpally - Hyderabad.
Started at 3 PM on 7th Dec at Tirupati and reached Guntur by 8 PM (370 Kms).
Started at 10 PM at Guntur and reached Kukatpally by 4 AM.

And my guess is if you take the route suggested by Ravveendrra (replace Guntur with Addanki), it may be ~ 600 Kms.

[vnabhi]

Thanks krschowdary. I think I'll take your first route, as it appears alluring. In any case, I was planning to go via that route, but via Rayachoti.
I think yours via Rajampet is better.

[binand]

[First post here, I hope picking up an existing thread on the same topic is correct, instead of opening a new thread]

I am driving from Hyderabad to Chennai on 15/3 - this is my first long distance (200km+) drive. I have been researching the routes (in fact, have read 3 threads here on team-bhp end to end several times), and have more or less decided on Hyderabad-Macherla-Piduguralla-Addanki-Nellore-Chennai. My map (Eicher India Road Atlas) says this is 649km.

My car is a 2007 Honda Civic 1.8V. I will be accompanied by my wife, son (4 years) and my in-laws plus a couple of suitcases. I plan to start at around 4:30AM and hope to reach Chennai same evening.

My questions are:

1. Given my car and my passengers, does it make more sense for me to take the NH-only 7-18-4 (Kurnool-Chittoor) route despite the extra 100km or so? Is 4-laning of Hyderabad-Kurnool stretch complete? NHAI's website doesn't seem to have been updated in months.

2. Should I go via Nalgonda rather than Macherla?

3. Any up-to-date information on road conditions both via Nalgonda and Macherla.

4. I am starting from Madhapur in Hyderabad. Is there a way to hit Nagarjunasagar Road via ORR-Shamshabad Interchange-Hyderabad Airport-Srisailam Road-[some unknown connection]? Or is it that the only way for me to hit Nagarjunasagar Road is via LB Nagar?

5. Same question as above, but this time about hitting eastbound NH9 from Madhapur.

Thanks,

Binand

[vnabhi]

I have a few answers in bold below, though you have to take inputs from other members on latest road conditions. Cheers.

Originally Posted by binand

My questions are:

1. Given my car and my passengers, does it make more sense for me to take the NH-only 7-18-4 (Kurnool-Chittoor) route despite the extra 100km or so? Is 4-laning of Hyderabad-Kurnool stretch complete? NHAI's website doesn't seem to have been updated in months.
It appears it is 80% complete, per a post from a member a month ago.
2. Should I go via Nalgonda rather than Macherla?
Might be a better option. We don't know how the road from Macherla to Piduguralla is.
With Civic's GC issues, it is better to not to take the road less travelled. Going via Guntur instead of Addanki is also a good option, but might add to your distance.
Another option is the Kurnool-Cuddappah-Rayachoti-Chittoor route. I think it might be a better option. I almost decided on that route a year ago, after getting inputs from dsreddy in this forum.

3. Any up-to-date information on road conditions both via Nalgonda and Macherla.
None on Macherla, but Ravveendra and bblost have posted travelogues on the Nalgonda route.

4. I am starting from Madhapur in Hyderabad. Is there a way to hit Nagarjunasagar Road via ORR-Shamshabad Interchange-Hyderabad Airport-Srisailam Road-[some unknown connection]? Or is it that the only way for me to hit Nagarjunasagar Road is via LB Nagar?
There is: Gachibowli->ORR->Road to Chandrayangutta->Kanchanbagh->LB Nagar. But that would be about 30 kms longer. Since you are leaving early morning, go directly to LB Nagar.
5. Same question as above, but this time about hitting eastbound NH9 from Madhapur.
Madhapur->J Hills Check Post->Panjagutta->Begumpet->Rail Nilayam->Mettuguda->Tarnaka->Habsiguda->Uppal->Nagole->LB Nagar x roads. Turn left here and proceed towards Vijaywada on NH9. Turn right at Narketpalli towards Nalgonda.

Thanks,

Binand

[binand]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

There is: Gachibowli->ORR->Road to Chandrayangutta->Kanchanbagh->LB Nagar. But that would be about 30 kms longer. Since you are leaving early morning, go directly to LB Nagar.

I think you mean Gachibowli > Old Bombay Road > IRR to Chandrayangutta and points onward. ORR and then to Chandrayangutta would be hideously circuitous.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Madhapur->J Hills Check Post->Panjagutta->Begumpet->Rail Nilayam->Mettuguda->Tarnaka->Habsiguda->Uppal->Nagole->LB Nagar x roads. Turn left here and proceed towards Vijaywada on NH9.

I am aware of this route through the middle of the city. My question was about a route via city outskirts (ie, less number junctions, signals etc.)

Thanks,

Binand