[ampere]

Originally Posted by arjithin

Starting point Whitefield and Hosur. Really appreciate your update before 7 AM on 6th Dec.

Best is take the regular Pondicherry route. Hosur-Krishnagiri-Arcot-Cheyyar-Tindivanam-Pondicherry-Cuddalore.

[jaganm]

Now that the rains and flooding have abated, can someone that has travelled recently update on the condition of the roads? What is the travel time that I should budget for - leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday afternoon

[NPV]

Originally Posted by jaganm

Now that the rains and flooding have abated, can someone that has travelled recently update on the condition of the roads? What is the travel time that I should budget for - leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday afternoon

A friend traveled 3 days ago from Bangalore taking about 7 hours to reach Alwarpet, Chennai from Kanakapura Road in Bangalore. He mentioned that Poonamallee and Porur were full of potholes. This was on the Hosur-Krishnagiri-Vellore route.
I also read elsewhere where someone mentioned that on the Hoskote-Kolar-Chittoor route, the roads after Ranipet are manageable and not as bad as they were being made out to be.
I would suggest you start by 5am at least.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by jaganm

Now that the rains and flooding have abated, can someone that has travelled recently update on the condition of the roads? What is the travel time that I should budget for - leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday afternoon

We had 17 car convoy & 1 truck (and one truck to Cuddalore) carrying relief materials from Bangalore via E.City - Hosur - Shoolagiri - Krishnagiri - Vaniyambadi - Ambur - Vellore - Ranipet - Wallajah - Kanchipuram - Sriperumbudur - Maduravoyal & the time taken was from 7:00 AM to 12:45 PM with 45 min for breakfast on 6-Dec when it was still raining. We had another car last night, Ford Figo, started around 4:00 PM from Anand Rao circle & reached Maduravoyal bypass at 10:50 PM with 3 breaks

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by jaganm

Now that the rains and flooding have abated, can someone that has travelled recently update on the condition of the roads? What is the travel time that I should budget for - leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday afternoon

Drove to Chennai last Sunday.
Ranipet to Poonamallee is very very patchy with many non existent road sections after Sriperumbudur , Poonamallee to Chennai central is pathetic. No waterlogging all the way till Chennai central. 7 hours each way from Whitefield to Chennai central.

[iamnarayang]

Originally Posted by jaganm

Now that the rains and flooding have abated, can someone that has travelled recently update on the condition of the roads? What is the travel time that I should budget for - leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday afternoon

Went to Chennai to attend a wedding on 6th and returned on 8th Night. Roads are very patchy from Walajhapet but certanly wasn't difficult to drive. Small internal roads, for example, near Porur, are still submerged in water. All the lakes and Adyar river are still brimming with water.

[hserus]

Most of the flooding has receded and only internal roads might still have waterlogging issues, but the weather has been sunny of late thank God. The roads are being gradually patched up as and when huge potholes appear, but poonamallee among other areas is going to be a horror for months to come.

I do hope the various IT companies think twice about locating their offices in and around lake bed areas, which caused a lot of the flooding as the water had no where to run off to. http://scroll.in/article/769928/chen...d-construction lists the major roads that have been constructed over floodplains, creek / lake beds, marshlands etc.

[Alchemist]

Dear All,
Was planning to Chennai on 15th Dec to attend a function. Need to reach numgambakkam. Could the recent travellers provide an update on the road condition. Thank you in advance.

Cheers,
Alchemist

[hamster]

All,
Planning for a trip to Chennai tomorrow early morning. Destination is Pammal.

Used to take the Sriperumbudur-Kundrathur-Pammal most of the times. But not sure how the section is especially after the recent rain/flood havoc, especially since, the road goes through the bank of Chembarambakkam banks. Even noticed last time that the road after Kundrathur to Pammal is dug up on the LHS towards Pammal.

Planning to take Kanchi-Tambaram route via Vandalur and then onto GST road toward Pallavaram.
Can anyone please help with the route map please. Travelling with spouse and my 2.5+ year old son.

All helps/suggestions much appreciated.

[DWind]

Originally Posted by hamster

Planning to take Kanchi-Tambaram route via Vandalur and then onto GST road toward Pallavaram.

You can also try the Suguvarchatiram (road before the turn to Pammal/Manimangalam)-Oragadam-Vandalur-GST road as well. Not sure how good Manimangalam Road is now especially from Mudichur to Tambaram. Anybody tried it in last one week. The roads sure would be battered but is it drivable?
One more option is continue straight till Nazarethpet and take the Outer Ring road. Would have to get on the service road to reach Kundrathur.

[hamster]

Thanks Dwind for the inputs.

Wanted to avoid Kundrathur since the road is very bad after that till Pammal.
Would prefer going all the way to Vandalur and turn off towards Tambaram-Chromepet and then to Pammal

Even the Manimangalam road was not that great even before the rains, during my last trip around 3 months back.

[smekad]

Folks from chennai- need an advice:

I am planning to visit chennai on 24th Dec to visit by BIL. He did mention that most places in chennai the water has receded now. I wanted to know the condition of roads enroute after the aftermath of the recent floods. Also is there any report of water borne diseases- I thought this was one of the major worries when the water recedes...

Considering that I will travelling with an infant I am little worried... Any suggestions or things to be worried ? I am wondering if should I postpone my trip.

Thanks in advance.

[hamster]

Just back to Bangalore from a hectic chennai trip.
Travelled on 17th early morning and there was no toll in any of the toll plazas. It was suspended till 18th midnight.
THe roads after Chennasamudram toll is really really bad and even if you negotiate one pothole, you are sure to hit another.
Paying toll is a criminal waste in my opinion.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by smekad

I wanted to know the condition of roads enroute after the aftermath of the recent floods.

NH Road conditions remain the same as it was earlier, good till past Rainpet and patchy from there till Sriperambadur toll.

Roads inside Chennai had deteriorated a bit at places, however that was the case after first rain which happened around diwali time.

No need to postpone your trip due to the road condition, the above said condition has been the same since few years and it will be another few years for it to be fixed. Just decrease your speed to 60~70 KMPH range and it will be fine.

From silkboard till Chennai town entry budget around 05:00 hours of drive time.

[hserus]

It depends on which area in chennai - the areas that did get flooded still have black sludge / sewage issues, people have dumped a lot of furniture, mattresses etc that were ruined outside and that adds to the trash etc.

Boil all the water that you drink in any case, and use odomos to guard against mosquitoes.

If the area had only mild flooding or was not flooded (eg: most of indira nagar / gandhinagar etc - but kotturpuram nearby was flooded heavily) then you are going to be perfectly ok.

Originally Posted by smekad

Folks from chennai- need an advice:

I am planning to visit chennai on 24th Dec to visit by BIL. He did mention that most places in chennai the water has receded now. I wanted to know the condition of roads enroute after the aftermath of the recent floods. Also is there any report of water borne diseases- I thought this was one of the major worries when the water recedes...

Considering that I will travelling with an infant I am little worried... Any suggestions or things to be worried ? I am wondering if should I postpone my trip.

Thanks in advance.