[prasanna.vps]

Guys I am planning a ride towards the end of May from Chennai to Surat and back. I will be taking my TBTS 500 (Black Hawk) for her first 3k+ ride. Super excited, looking for route suggestions and any other tips. Planning to do it over 2 days. Appreciate your inputs! Cheers!

[ramanak]

Originally Posted by prasanna.vps

Guys I am planning a ride towards e end of May from chennai to Surat and back. I will be taking my TBTS 500 (Black Hawk) for her first 3k+ ride. Super excited, looking for route suggestions and any other tips. Planning to do it over 2 days. Appreciate your inputs! Cheers!

Route is quite simple.Chennai -Bangalore (Electronics City) -Nice Road -Tumkur-Belgaum-Kohlapur-Pune (Mumbai Pune Expressway,HVK had posted a Route from Expressway to NH8 in my route query thread, Link below)-Thane -Vapi-Surat.I had done Bangalore - Vapi in 1 day with a lot of breaks in my Civic (enroute Sasan Gir) but it was a bit of stretch towards the end.Since you are travelling from Chennai by Bike, Can't say for sure where ideal break points could be.Road conditions are excellent all the way.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...onal-park.html

[prasanna.vps]

Hey thanks but bikes are not allowed in express way so need alternative there.

[athanedar]

Originally Posted by prasanna.vps

Hey thanks but bikes are not allowed in express way so need alternative there.

You can use the old Mumbai pune highway. It is in good condition.

[prasanna.vps]

Okay, hot on the heals of my baby ranger (Alcazar AE DCT 7 str) becoming part of my family. I would like to baptise her with a maiden chennai-surat trip. There are a couple of options that I am seeing but wanted to get the wisdom of the larger group.

Option 1: Chennai - Kalahasti - Nellore- Ongole-Hyderbad-Beed-Aurangabad-Nasik-Navsari-Surat

Option 2: Chennai-Vellore-Bengaluru-Hubballi-Kolapur-Satara-Pune-Mumbai-Wapi-Surat

Planning this drive over 2 days and mostly I would be solo, need your advice on

1. What is the best route to take
2. What is the best place to make a day 1 pit stop (would be better if I can even get to do some sight seeing or city experience while at it)

Again, this is not a road trip for road tripping. I need to make the distance in 2 days.

Appreciate all your inputs. Cheers!

[ampere]

I was looking if there is any info on this section. Looks like none. Most already know that there is a new Chennai-Surat expressway already under construction.

I guess this thread would a good place to post updates on that section.

The Key updates on the route alignment:

Surat-Nasik-Ahmednagar-Akkalkot-Kurnool-Cuddapah-Renigunta-Chennai


At the Surat side it originates on the Delhi Mumbai expressway some where beyond Navsari bypass.

Some where around Sinnar its supposed to cut the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway. Similarly its cuts the Pune-Hyderabad highway beyond Solapur.

Akkalkot already has a new bypass being gone. And there on till Kurnool via Raichur its a full new alignment which is already underworks.

There are new bridges on Krishna and Tungabadra (this is at Kurnool). At Kurnool the expressway cuts the Bangalore-Hyd highway. Folks heading from Bangalore to Hyderabad can actually see this work before entering Kurnool town.

Kurnool-Cudapah is again a new alignment. Not much working yet here. And again from Cuddapah to Chennai is upgrade of the current NH716. The 716 is the Cudapah-Renigunta-Chennai routing. On this routing already 4-laning work is on going. Many people heading to Tirupati would have already noticed this.

I hope the over all completion of this section happens soon.

[ampere]

Also note that: some sections of the crowed Cuddapah-Renigunta part get a total new alignment bypassing most towns. This seems to be the other green field section in addition to the other one from Surat to Nashik.

[ampere]

This video really took my breath away!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asnP8ibK5rI

We are so engrossed in Delhi-Mumbai and Chennai-Bangalore expressway and the likes that we did not even realise how fast work on the second longest expressway in India has progressed!

Basically if you all notice Solapur-Chennai is a fast progress section. Surat-Solapur is is yet to begin.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ampere

Basically if you all notice Solapur-Chennai is a fast progress section. Surat-Solapur is is yet to begin.

The only progress is happening between Kurnool and Solapur and that is because the greenfield starts only at Kurnool. From Madras it is simply a 4-lane conversion of existing Madras-Rajampeta-Kadapa.

Am pretty sure nothing will change about the Madras-Tiruvallur section. It will continue in its present form. I'll be happy to see a Tiruvallur bypass in the medium term.

It is very unlikely there'll be a greenfield beyond Nashik.

In summary, the real greenfield access controlled expressway stretch is only about 500-600 km between Kurnool and Nashik. So calling it the second longest expressway is a farce.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by narayans80

The only progress is happening between Kurnool and Solapur and that is because the greenfield starts only at Kurnool. From Madras it is simply a 4-lane conversion of existing Madras-Rajampeta-Kadapa.

Surat-Nashik is also a green field. It may also require environmental clearance. I think thats why it will take more time.

Renigunta-Rajampet-Kuddapa is a mix of brown and green field roads along the 716 to bypass the crowded towns.

Am pretty sure nothing will change about the Madras-Tiruvallur section. It will continue in its present form. I'll be happy to see a Tiruvallur bypass in the medium term.

They bypass is already in the the works. In fact almost complete. The Chennai peripheral ring road is also coming along from Thatchoor onto Thiruvallur.

The 4-laning till Renigunta, you may already know. What is the point of making new green field, when something available can be put to good use. This to me is a good development. I drove from Tirupati to Chennai. I easily felt the ease of driving. The only pain was Thiruvallur onto Chennai. And that I think is getting addressed. With peripheral ring road it should improve further.

It is very unlikely there'll be a greenfield beyond Nashik.

I think it's a total green field all the way to DME interchange. There is no current road which can be expanded.

In summary, the real greenfield access controlled expressway stretch is only about 500-600 km between Kurnool and Nashik. So calling it the second longest expressway is a farce.

Farce or not, I will leave it to the commuter to experience and judge. If the commute times go down to half as mentioned, the purpose is served.

[ampere]

I was trying to follow up on why there is no update or construction activity from Kurnool down south. I understand it's a brown field. Later realized this mostly will be Kurnool-Nandyal-Kadappa and there on to Renigunta/Chennai via 716.

So that way I see the wheels are fully in motion from Chennai to Maharashtra border.

Now we only need to see how the work from Surat to Sholapur shapes up. I am very sure Sholapur-Chennai would come up as per schedule.


Updates around Kurnool as seen on Google Earth. One can clearly see the expressway meeting the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway just before Kurnool (from the Bangalore side).

One can also see the road being drawn on to the east side heading towards Guntur.

The Surat-Chennai expressway in question will head south east towards Nandyal. This is the existing NH40 and there on to 544F to Kadappa.




Nice interchange coming up. Looks like a tunnel ! This does seem to connect the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway directly!

[bblost]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/811783567587646


Just saw there was an update on this expressway.

Nitin Gadkari:

The Chennai-Surat access-controlled Greenfield Expressway�� is taking form near Raichur.
This new 6-lane thoroughfare will traverse the districts of Raichur, Yadgir, and Kalaburagi in Karnataka, significantly reducing both travel time and costs.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by bblost

Just saw there was an update on this expressway.

This is the Droneman video which was updated on this thread a posts above. Check the road status. Its coming up well!

Basically: All the way from KA-MH border (near Solapur/Akkalkot) till Kurnool its is full-on development. I can see earth work is near complete and in many places even road laying has start and many places completed and ready!

[ampere]

This video clearly shows how the expressway cuts through Kurnool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxfHgxjD3ZI&t=31s

Basically it's a greenfield till Kurnool. And from here, it's a brownfield.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by ampere

This video clearly shows how the expressway cuts through Kurnool.

Thanks a lot.

I think it will be around 2026 that this might become a reality for my regular Hyderabad to Chennai road trips.

What a nice content creator.

I wish these guys get the success they truly deserve.

If he reads our forum, all I want to say is, "Thanks brother, you are awesome!".