[narayans80]

Originally Posted by finneyp

I will be driving to Vellore & then to Chennai next week, how is the situation at the FasTag lanes?

Originally Posted by finneyp

Agree, but I am driving on Friday morning

Attibele is a frustrating place, have never been able to enter the Fastag lane.

Krishnagiri is marginally better than Attibele, but still the lane location can be confusing. Pallikonda, Vaniyambadi are better.

The pain starts from Chennasamudram.

Generally with Fastag, if you have more than one truck waiting and there are 1-2 cars on the other lane, don't even bother about the Fastag lane. With trucks, they take anywhere between 3-4 car (cash payment) timing for 1 truck.

For Sriperumbudur toll, you can avoid if your destination is in GST/OMR/ECR surroundings either taking Manimangalam (SH110) /Oragadam-Walajabad (SH48) route in. Infact GMaps showed the Manimangalam route when I started from Perungudi last week. Am suggesting this because, the section close to and beyond Sriperumbudur were in a sorry state of affairs in October. There is traffic and sometimes traffic accidents to spice things up.

Try to enter Madras by 2-3 pm in the afternoon regardless of the route you are taking, after this traffic will steadily rise starting with school buses at 3ish.

Originally Posted by Makin Rulesz

This was put up just after the 2015 floods. Some part of the highway around sriperumbudur was submerged and got damaged then.

I am aware of what happened during the 2015 floods, but the section wasn't any better before that either.

[finneyp]

Originally Posted by narayans80

For Sriperumbudur toll, you can avoid if your destination is in GST/OMR/ECR surroundings either taking Manimangalam (SH110) /Oragadam-Walajabad (SH48) route in. Infact GMaps showed the Manimangalam route when I started from Perungudi last week. Am suggesting this because, the section close to and beyond Sriperumbudur were in a sorry state of affairs in October. There is traffic and sometimes traffic accidents to spice things up.

Thanks Narayan. I need to goto Maduravoyil, can I still avoid Sriperumbudur toll?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by finneyp

I need to goto Maduravoyil, can I still avoid Sriperumbudur toll?

I don't think taking the GST route will help in your case since Maduravoyal is closer to Poonamallee and is the continuation of the NH 48 highway into Chennai (left turn at Poonamallee). Maduravoyal is on the west whereas GST makes sense if you're headed towards the eastern parts of the city and suburbs.
I hope my understanding is correct, based on limited experience driving to Chennai

[arunramaswamy]

Originally Posted by finneyp

Thanks Narayan. I need to goto Maduravoyil, can I still avoid Sriperumbudur toll?

To reach Maduravoyal, Poonamallee bypass makes more sense than GST as NPV mentioned . If GST is your preference, then you could take the Chennai Bye pass from Perungalathur which directly takes you to Maduravoyal.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by finneyp

Thanks Narayan. I need to goto Maduravoyil, can I still avoid Sriperumbudur toll?

For Maduravoyal it doesnt make sense. In theory it should take 50 min to 1 hr from Sriperumbudur to Maduravoyal. Please do take it easy in section though.

From my Sunday drive, Chennai bypass from Tambaram to Porur alone takes 25 mins. You actually might lose time taking that alternate, the route makes sense for South Madras and related Central Madras destinations.

[prashkul]

Originally Posted by hserus

Sai Sangeet is right on the highway and it is an excellent place to shop. If you're going to Kanchi for wedding related shopping - check out the gift shop attached to Sai Sangeet for framed god paintings, all sorts of cast iron cookware / clay pottery etc etc. Very very nice value for money, if you want to give gifts to specific guests.

I'm looking for photos of gods and goddesses for my home, and a nice wall clock. Will Sai Sangeet be a good place to check out?

Also, what else is worth covering if I'm coming from Bangalore just for shopping at Sai Sangeet gift shop?

TIA!

[hserus]

Originally Posted by prashkul

I'm looking for photos of gods and goddesses for my home, and a nice wall clock. Will Sai Sangeet be a good place to check out?

Also, what else is worth covering if I'm coming from Bangalore just for shopping at Sai Sangeet gift shop?

TIA!

I normally don't go all the way to Sai Sangeet to shop for God images because there are shops like Gurubaran in Mylapore that sell such images with very high quality. Other than those images that Sai Sangeet (the one that is on the BLR - Chennai side near Ambur) is just a good restaurant with a decent gift shop. I am sure you will find similar places in Bangalore as well.

Still if you want to drive off there, get some food or maybe a biryani nearby and drive back, enjoy yourself.

[suresh_gs]

Folks

My friend drove from Adyar,Chennai to Whitefield, Bangalore via Old Madras road last week. He said that right from Ranipet till the 4 lane road in KA, the stretch has combination of broken tarmac and potholes and that he found it difficult to go beyond 50 kmph. This was during the day time. He left Chennai at 11 AM and reached Whitefield by 6 30 PM

[Prodigy07]

Folks,

How's the traffic scene expected between Chennai-Bangalore during Christmas weekend?

I plan to start on 23rd (Sat) afternoon and take the usual route Poonamallee - Vellore - Shoolagiri - Hosur.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Prodigy07

How's the traffic scene expected between Chennai-Bangalore during Christmas weekend?

I drove into Madras on 3rd Dec (Sunday) evening and it was a 80 kph drag race starting from Vellore. I expect it would be several levels worser starting from late afternoon of 22nd and daytime of 23rd.

It would be equally bad/worser from Krishnagiri to Bangalore, with long lines at Krishnagiri, Attibele and NICE.

I would expect, even food joints to be crowded.

Originally Posted by Makin Rulesz

Update: This stretch has been resurfaced recently.

Question: How long does it take to reach Sriperumbudur exit point from the time you turn off from GST in Tambaram via Manimangalam? I have taken it only till SH48 turnoff, felt there was more traffic than there was in Oragadam-Walajabad road.

[Makin Rulesz]

Originally Posted by Makin Rulesz

After you exit the highway at Sriperumbudur, initial ~4 KMs of the road is broken. Rest of the road is fine till Manimangalam.

Update: This stretch has been resurfaced recently. But the problem is people driving on the wrong side trying to join from NH. This is despite the presence of legal U turn, not more then 100 meters away, after crossing the Rajeev Gandhi Memorial.
Also the road which was dug up for drainage work near Tambaram is patched up.

[Makin Rulesz]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Question: How long does it take to reach Sriperumbudur exit point from the time you turn off from GST in Tambaram via Manimangalam? I have taken it only till SH48 turnoff, felt there was more traffic than there was in Oragadam-Walajabad road.

Around 30-40 minutes depending on the time of the day. Normally I leave from Chennai early in the morning and return after sun down, so never faced any traffic issues.
After Mudichur traffic will be less normally except for cattle(lots of them) sleeping on the road.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Makin Rulesz

Normally I leave from Chennai early in the morning and return after sun down, so never faced any traffic issues.

Thanks. Last time I started at 2:45pm and faced slow traffic all the way till the SH48 turnoff. This time planning a 2pm start to beat the school traffic, lets see how the Manimangalam route fares.

[NPV]

An acquaintance traveled from Chennai to Bangalore yesterday on the Chittoor route and mentioned that there was a 3-4Km diversion inside Ranipet town due to some construction work, possibly a culvert or some pipe laying. This was late evening yesterday.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by NPV

An acquaintance traveled from Chennai to Bangalore yesterday on the Chittoor route and mentioned that there was a 3-4Km diversion inside Ranipet town due to some construction work, possibly a culvert or some pipe laying. This was late evening yesterday.

But in general, how was the road surface between Ranipet and Palmaner? I am planning to start early on 23rd Dec for the Christmas weekend. I know it could be a disaster, but still willing to take the risk