[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by binand

Thanks for this. I have wanted to take this route but the road quality was always the big unknown (low GC sedan issues). Now that you have confirmed the road has been relaid, I suppose I could take this for my next trip.

This route is worth trying. Plan for an early morning departure from bangalore. Once you are on the Arakkonam Thandalam SH, take this road all the way till you intersect the NH near Saveetha University. The Sholinghur-Arakkonam and the Arakkonam-Thandalam SHs are a treat to drive.

[ampere]

Interesting option. The good part I can see is how this can bypass the traffic prone Sri-Perumbudur-Kanchi-Walaja section and take one directly to Chittoor.

The concerning part:
- How is it to go through Chitoor, Arakonnam and Sholighur ?

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by ampere

Interesting option. The good part I can see is how this can bypass the traffic prone Sri-Perumbudur-Kanchi-Walaja section and take one directly to Chittoor.

The concerning part:
- How is it to go through Chitoor, Arakonnam and Sholighur ?

When i went through these towns, traffic was very minimal. Infact in no time i managed to exit these towns. Inside Arakkonam some road repair work was going on as a result of which I took some time to exit Arakkonam

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

BANGALORE TO CHENNAI VIA CHITTOOR, SHOLINGHUR,ARAKKONAM

I've done this route earlier with an exception that from Sholinghur I took Thiruthani and Thiruvallur to reach Motel Highway on the NH, thus avoiding most of the Sriperumbudur bad stretch.

[mpksuhas]

Those who are traveling on Bangalore - Krishnagiri route do keep an eye for this.

Link

Chaos prevailed at the Attibele toll plaza on the road connecting the city to Tamil Nadu on Monday as hundreds of commercial vehicles, which would pass without paying toll, were stopped and asked to pay up by the operators.

In retaliation, the motorists blocked the toll gate, resulting in a massive traffic jam at noon. With the jam stretching over 2 km, police personnel allowed all motorists to pass without paying toll.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Those who are traveling on Bangalore - Krishnagiri route do keep an eye for this.

Did not understand how some vehicles were claiming exemption from paying tolls for being "locals" - what qualifies them for such preferential treatment ?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by NPV

Did not understand how some vehicles were claiming exemption from paying tolls for being "locals" - what qualifies them for such preferential treatment ?

Actually a lot of rules if you go by the books.

There are so many toll booths which exempt "local" vehicles from Paying toll once they are registered with the booth as local with some address and over proofs.

I might not be able to dig in into the rule books specifically but such an arrangement does exist at a lot of places : Hebbalu and Chalakere Plazas on erstwhile NH4 is one section where KA17 (Davanagere) cars at times are exempted (have seen myself).

Then the Khedshivpur toll near Pune - If it's MH12 and you produced some document which shows evidence that you are local (Lot of small towns after this that come under Pune like Shirwal), you are let off without toll payment.

Hence, I am sure something like this was in once at Attibele for KA51 (if you stayed closer to border) and TN70 and now they are asked to Pay up?

Of course, Monthly pass costing as less as 250 Bucks for those staying within 5 kms radius of the booth also exists.

[smnrock]

This was the response i received for my query to NHAI about attibele exemption for locals. This response was given by BETL official to NHAI and forwarded to me.

Sir,

Ref: Your E-mail 15-02-2017


With reference to the above subject, we would like to inform you that Attibele Toll Booth was demolished by Attibele local at the presence of DC on 24th July 2013. Then after Concessionaire (BETL) went to the court against this decision taken by DC and got stay order from the court.



After interference of Principal Secretary several meetings were conducted with Attibele locals, BETL Officials, NHAI officials along with DC, finally came to the conclusion and gave some suggestions that the Concessionaire should construct a service road for public at the earliest and get proper barricades between main carriageway and service road along toll lanes with entering an agreement with NHAI as there is no provision of providing service road for locals as per their Concession Agreement.

In this the condition to maintain law & order at Attibele they were also suggested to allow Attibele locals to cross the plaza without paying the toll with proper checking of ID proof are any address proof recognized by concerned authority till the matter not resolved in the court or by Government.

Therefore we are allowing the people without paying the toll who have Attibele address in their vehicle RTO certificate.



This is for your kind information.

[rahulb22]

Hello,

I am driving to Chennai from Bangalore next week to catch an early morning flight. The plan is to start around 6 PM from Bangalore and reach late night, so that I could reduce the wait time at the airport. Few questions to friends here on the forum:
1. What is the best route to reach the airport directly from the Bangalore highway?
2. Is there a safe long term parking option at Chennai airport?
3. Any idea if there is a restriction on early entry into the airport since my wait time there would be about 5 hours?

Any leads would be of great help!! Apologies if I am diverting the topic on this thread.

Thanks
Cheers
Rahulb22

[hserus]

There is long term parking but it is in the open air and close to a busy highway so your car will be filthy with road dust and bird droppings.

Why don't you just take a nighttime KSRTC Airavat bus - or an afternoon one for that matter that reaches late night, check into some hotel near the airport to sleep or freshen up there if necessary? Or just book the last bangalore - chennai flight so you're in the airport?

[rahulb22]

Originally Posted by hserus

There is long term parking but it is in the open air and close to a busy highway so your car will be filthy with road dust and bird droppings.

Why don't you just take a nighttime KSRTC Airavat bus - or an afternoon one for that matter that reaches late night, check into some hotel near the airport to sleep or freshen up there if necessary? Or just book the last bangalore - chennai flight so you're in the airport?

Thanks for the lead hserus, but we are a family of six travelling with quite a bit of luggage. So, I thought that car was the best option as we could start at our convenient time and also save some money . The road is good anyways, so the journey should also be quite peaceful.

Cheers
Rahulb22

[hserus]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

Thanks for the lead hserus, but we are a family of six travelling with quite a bit of luggage. So, I thought that car was the best option as we could start at our convenient time and also save some money . The road is good anyways, so the journey should also be quite peaceful.

Cheers
Rahulb22

Especially for a late evening start and at night - no not peaceful as you think. Pretty heavy truck traffic. Solid jam from e-city all the way to hosur, and then from sriperumbudur onwards. Plus there's always the "people drive like idiots at night and put you at risk". Still, up to you.

6 tickets on an Airavat and a huge hold where you can stash your luggage just fine .. shouldn't be an issue. Get an uberxl at Koyambedu bus stand so that you'll have an innova available. Or even 2..3 ubers for your luggage.

[gajadonga]

Sripermbadur - Thirumudivakkam- Thiruneermalai - Pallavaram

Traveled this route last weekend.
From Sripermbadur initially about 3 to 4 kms is narrow with occasional potholes after that road improves.
Passes through lots of small
villages narrow roads through these places but no traffic holdups anywhere.
Roads is okay no potholes.
Once u cross the Chennai bypass should travel on the service road to reach Thirumudivakkam.
Roads are little narrow occasionally but saves an hour than by Oragadam route

[ampere]

Originally Posted by gajadonga

Sripermbadur - Thirumudivakkam- Thiruneermalai - Pallavaram

Can you post a Google link? Mostly folks take the Sri Perumbudur- Manimangalam-Tambaram-Pallavaram route. Gives you a deterministic time all the way. Though roads around Manimangalam are blind at some points.

[gajadonga]

It took 45 mins from Sriperambadur to Pallavaram in the evening between 5.30pm and 6.30 pm

Link in Google map

https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/Sr...!3e0!5i2?hl=en

Minimal traffic can save to close to one hour.
Had to go to Thuraipakkam and this road joined close to the Flyover at Pallavaram.