[hothatchaway]

Rode the 'central India' NH about a month back from Bangalore on my way to Himachal - this is the less preferred route as most folks prefer the GQ through the western part of the country - and thought of finally posting an update

Bangalore - Hyderabad - Adilabad = This is a well trodden stretch and no surprises here, barring the fact that its eerily devoid of traffic especially at night. The tarmac continues to be a joy and more so if you are on 4 wheels as you then get to take the awesome ORR to bypass Hyderabad (no joy for motorcyclists here as you are not even allowed to take the PV Narasimha expressway and bypass most of the city) I passed the city amidst the cloudburst and spent the entire afternoon negotiating my way through the city. A couple of motels have also come up on the highway as you pick your way towards Adilabad but not much by way of refreshment stops especially if you are with your family

Adilabad - Hinghanghat - Nagpur = This dreaded 120 odd kms stretch has improved by leaps and bounds any am hoping that the woes would be gone in another years time. There are stretches now where one can do 50-60 kmph and work was going on in full swing when I passed

Nagpur - Chhindwara - Narsinghpur - Sagar = Since work is in progress on the forest corridor from Seoni to Pench, decided to take the Chhindwara option by passing through Nagpur. The latter is seeing a lot of construction activity with the new metro being built and with my constant companion, the rain drenching me to the bone, had to negotiate a number of diversions. Still managed to do decent time and connect to the cloverleaf which leads you to National Highway 69 to Chhindwara. And what a stretch this 125 odd kms turned out to be. Tight corners, flowing chicanes, technical turns: this stretch has it all. This stretch connects you to NH 44 (as you turn left into it instead of going straight onto the last few kms to Narsinghpur.

Sagar - Jhansi - Gwalior - This has to be renamed as the cattle corridor: there are literally scores of cattle squatting in the middle of the road and one has to do a lot of dodging to make your way through. The road surface until Jhansi is good even though its evident that this highway isn't as frequented as the one through the west. The Jhansi Gwalior stretch is the one that really punishes you. There has been a lot of controversy about this incomplete stretch and is replete with unmarked diversions and broken stretches. The dust kicked up by trucks and other heavy vehicles just makes things terrible if you are on 2 wheels.

Gwalior - Agra - No surprises here on this stretch of NH44. Smooth tarmac and enough fuel pumps on the way to catch a break.

Agra - Delhi - The familiar Yamuna expressway. The surface quality has gone down by a notch or two

In conclusion, since I was riding and was lashed by heavy rains on consecutive days in Hyderabad and Nagpur, I made it to Delhi on the morning of the 4th day since I started from Bangalore. Folks driving up + more than one driver will make better time but certainly not much by way of rest stops if you have your family with you. However the experience of taking this less trodden route is something that is not to be discounted.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Folks driving up + more than one driver will make better time but certainly not much by way of rest stops if you have your family with you. However the experience of taking this less trodden route is something that is not to be discounted.

I completely echo your thoughts and have shared the exact feedback soon after we drove down to Bangalore from Delhi only last month. Surface of the YEW, the Cattle Corridors, Bad roads for longer sections, lack of facilities - That warrant one to meticulously plan the breaks than gamble etc.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post4059412

[Shivanshu]

Has anyone recently done the route:

Indirapuram - Moradabad - Rampur - Bareily - Ambedkar Nagar - Hardoi - Lucknow.

I will be leaving tomorrow night. I have been to Bareily - Ambedkar Nagar - Sitapur - Lucknow route and after Bareily roads were awful till Sitapur. So wanted to try this route.

As per now I am thinking to take YEW - Etawah - Kanpur - Lucknow, but while coming back would try to take the above mentioned route.

[srvm]

Folks,
We did a Bangalore-Sankarankovil-Namakkal-Tiruchengode-Bangalore round-trip last weekend. Main purpose was to visit temples/pilgrim shrines in these places.

Bangalore-Sankarankovil route:
Took NH44 from Bangalore to Tirumangalam bypass. After which we took Srivilliputtur-Rajapalayam route to Sankarankovil. Roads are very average. Not too many speed bumps but too many potholes & broken tarmac is the norm. Strictly avoid this route if possible.

Sankarankovil-Namakkal route:
On this leg, we reached NH44 near Kovilpatti bypass through Kalugumalai. Route is very scenic with lots of delightful curves and roads are much better. Mostly good roads with broken tarmac at a few places. Manageable on the whole.

Namakkal-Tiruchengodu route:
Straightforward route via Velagoundanpatty (about 37kms). First few kms are awesome with fresh smooth tarmac and 4-lane state highway with divider. Rest of the route is average 2-lane road but 4-lane conversion is happening at lot of places. Manageable on the whole.

Tiruchengodu-Salem bypass route:
Many options available when you look at GMaps. We took the route via Mallasamudram to hit NH544. Smooth 2-lane road here. Lots of trees providing ample shade even during a hot day. Highly recommended - only downer is the speed bumps at every village/town on the way.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by srvm

Sankarankovil-Namakkal route:
On this leg, we reached NH44 near Kovilpatti bypass through Kalugumalai. Route is very scenic with lots of delightful curves and roads are much better. Mostly good roads with broken tarmac at a few places. Manageable on the whole.

I guess you had Namakkal on the agenda. Else you can exit NH7 before Namakkal for Tiruchengode.

Tiruchengodu-Salem bypass route:
Many options available when you look at GMaps. We took the route via Mallasamudram to hit NH544. Smooth 2-lane road here. Lots of trees providing ample shade even during a hot day. Highly recommended - only downer is the speed bumps at every village/town on the way.

Has Salem traffic gotten effected by construction of flyovers in the city? If yes, then I guess Tiruchengode-Sankari-Omalur can be better option.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by ampere

I guess you had Namakkal on the agenda. Else you can exit NH7 before Namakkal for Tiruchengode.

Has Salem traffic gotten effected by construction of flyovers in the city? If yes, then I guess Tiruchengode-Sankari-Omalur can be better option.

Yes, the plan was to visit temples at Sankarankovil, Namakkal and Tiruchengode.
Day-1 halt at Sankarankovil. Day-2 halt at Namakkal. I have put details of the accommodation here (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post4085791).

Did not try Tiruchengode-Sankari-Omalur route since the plan was to have lunch at A2B near Uthamasolapuram on NH544.

[Mohan Mathew A]

Toll Collection across all national highways have been suspended till the midnight of 11th. Happy Motoring

http://www.financialexpress.com/

[aviat18]

Planning to drive down to Barmer from Mumbai this weekend. While most of the route is sorted out, have across posts that suggest Deesa-Tharad-Sanchore route rather than the straightforward Deesa-Dhanera-Sanchore (GMaps' suggestion) one.

Any pointers on the road condition between Deesa and Sanchore via Dhanera would be appreciated.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by aviat18

Planning to drive down to Barmer from Mumbai this weekend. While most of the route is sorted out, have across posts that suggest Deesa-Tharad-Sanchore route rather than the straightforward Deesa-Dhanera-Sanchore (GMaps' suggestion) one.

Any pointers on the road condition between Deesa and Sanchore via Dhanera would be appreciated.

Take the Deesa-Sanchore-Tharad-NH15 intersection .The road via Dhanera has been historically bad for reasons that I dont know of.The route via Tharad is very good,just that its got an undulating terrain at some sections,so take it a little slow as you would be tempted to zoom by the absence of any traffic on the Sanchore-Tharad section.

[TaureanBull]

Hi folks.
I need update on the road status from Nashik to Aurangabad via Shirdi and Aurangabad to Indore via Dhule. Any route suggestion or meal halts would be welcome.
Any update on Aurangabad-Lonar-Ajanta-Aurangabad is also welcome.

[justwheels]

Hi friends,
Planning for a drive from Howrah to Mayapur to Tarapith and back on the weekend of 24-25 Dec. Will be using the Zoom Car this time. Hope the zoom car experience is as good as my trips in Bangalore.


However wanted to check the best route to be taken and approx travel times. Am I ok to rely on the google maps timings and routes?

[Crank]

Folks,

Planning for a trip from Chennai to Mysore via Hogenakkal on a Thursday. Google maps give me two options from Hogenakkal to Mysore

1. NH 948 - Hogenakkal - Anchetty - KodiHalli - Sathanuru - Malavalli - Harohalli - Mysore
2. NH 275 - Similar to the above, but takes a detour from Banasamudra after Halaguru to join NH 275 at Madduru

The first option seems to be of shorter length and time. However I am not sure about the road condition. Anybody can throw some light on this?

-Crank

[NPV]

Had recently visited Kumta, taking the Bangalore-Haveri-Sirsi route.
During the stay at Kumta, we also made quick visits to the Idagunji temple near Honnavara, the beaches near Kumta and the Mirjan Fort before taking the Sirsi-Haveri route to return to Bangalore. During these visits, we traveled 15-30Km to the North and South of Kumta on the NH 66 (old NH 17) and here is a short update:
NH 66 to the south of Kumta (towards Honnavara):
The first 3-5 Km of the highway passes right through Kumta town and there is no widening work in progress here. About 10Km south is where some activity is seen - small bridges, culverts, mud filling, rock blasting, etc. Then, there are small sections where the 4 laning is complete but not open to traffic. This continues till the outskirts of Honnavara where a new bridge over the Sharavathi river has been constructed but again not open to traffic yet. There are 2 turn offs to reach Idagunji about 2Km from each other both on NH 66. We tried both and the 4 laning work was in progress here. Not sure how the situation is further south towards Murudeshwara.

NH 66 to the north of Kumta (towards Mirjan Fort):
A mixed bag here as well with one new bridge over the Aghanshini river complete, short sections of 4 laning and some rock blasting, still a long way to go. We also took the short cut from Mirjan Fort to bypass Kumta and join the Sirsi road directly. This road was a bit rough on one small 100-200 meter section that had road work in progress.

*The place where the Sirsi road merges with NH 66 is a blind curve so just watch out and be slow! It feels like you're on the Sirsi road and it is curving to the left and then you realize it is the NH 66 at that curve and you see a board saying "Kumta - 3 Km".

While speaking to my friend's family who are from Kumta, they mentioned that the section between the Sirsi Road junction and the end of the Kumta town is still a question mark as the NHAI is undecided on the alignment of the highway with the railway line (Konkan line ?) that passes perpendicular to the highway near the other end of Kumta being another reason for the delay in making the decision.

[Crank]

Originally Posted by Crank

Folks,

Planning for a trip from Chennai to Mysore via Hogenakkal on a Thursday. Google maps give me two options from Hogenakkal to Mysore

1. NH 948 - Hogenakkal - Anchetty - KodiHalli - Sathanuru - Malavalli - Harohalli - Mysore
2. NH 275 - Similar to the above, but takes a detour from Banasamudra after Halaguru to join NH 275 at Madduru

The first option seems to be of shorter length and time. However I am not sure about the road condition. Anybody can throw some light on this?

-Crank

I haven't got a response on this. So thought of updating the forum with my experience. I took the first option in the above, which uses the Kanakapura to Mysore road. The road from Kanakapura is good though its a dual carriage way (two lane road without divider). The road is sufficiently wide and national highway class tarmac. The challenging section is from Hogannakal to Kanakapura. Most part almost till Denkanikottai, it is a one or one and half lane road. You may have to get off road to give way to on coming vehicles. Its also winding and potholed here and there. Your average speed in this road would be around 20-30 kmph. You may pick up a bit of speed after Denkanikottai, but there are road works happening in that stretch which may again hamper your speed. So till Kanakapura its not a pleasant drive, particularly with family. From Kanakapura, we can average at least 60 kmph without any issues. One thing that I found was there are no decent family restaurants on this stretch to break for tea/coffee. Particularly with family, there's a need to have a good highway restaurant with rest room facilities, which is missing.

If possible, avoid having Hogannakal in your itinerary if you are planning a trip to Mysore from Chennai. You'll spend a lot of time on roads that are mostly bad that too without much breaks and that will tire the passengers.

[Bigzero]

A quick update on a Pune-Vadodara-Pune trip I had done last week. I believe this route is quite frequently travelled by bhpians, but a few of points from my side nevertheless.

1. Pune-Mumbai Expressway - nothing special to report, except that the lane rules in the ghat section are blatantly disregarded by the truck drivers.

2. Ghodbunder Junction - at least 20+ minutes wait time to cross the junction and the bridge. This junction is now like a giant traffic signal with a massive wait time. vehicles are released through the bridge in one direction only. Everyone else waits. I dont know if this is some special measure because of the rush, or a daily affair. We just had to wait it out. Be prepared to lose some time here.

3. Tollgates - many tollgates in the Mumbai - Vadodara stretch has long queues. Cars squeeze in through the extreme left and somehow manage to pass with comparatively shorter wait times. However, a lot of time gets lost at tollgates. Wasnt there some rule like tollgates should be opened when the queue builds up? nothing like that seems to be happening.

4. Narmada bridge. Cars through the older bridge on the right side, we have to cut the lanes to get onto the older bridge. Smooth traffic flow, albeit a bit slow at times. Didnt lose much time thankfully.

5. Road quality is overall quite good in the Mumbai-Vadodara stretch.