[procrj]

Originally Posted by tharian

I sometimes cut off to Vellore after Chittoor to avoid some of the bad stretch and the railway gate.

Please do share route. Planning to take this Saturday morning. Any recommendations for pit stops?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by procrj

Please do share route. Planning to take this Saturday morning. Any recommendations for pit stops?

It is easy to miss the cut off since the prominent road is the wider concrete road that is being built. It is better to turn on Google navigation to not to miss it.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/13...5167!3e0?hl=en

But you do get around 5 kms of Vellore town to cross to reach the expressway from Krishnagiri . It is longer by few kms too compared to going via Ranipet.

There are no places to stop on this stretch. There are decent places in Vellore and before Chittoor bypass.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by tharian

Google navigation

Noted. Will be on nav as this is my first time on this route.

There are decent places in Vellore and before Chittoor bypass.

What places would you recommend in Vellore or before Chittoor?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by procrj

Noted. Will be on nav as this is my first time on this route.
What places would you recommend in Vellore or before Chittoor?

https://goo.gl/maps/nxPBxri4kRjbMfLg7

https://goo.gl/maps/GjAo5fDQPJ7akXfaA

https://goo.gl/maps/vw8YvB8ge6BTLdZz7

I would recommend the last location as you get clean toilets as well as various restaurants under one roof. Only thing is you will reach is quite fast as it is just outside Kolar. I normally take parcel from here and munch on the way. That way I don't have to make too many stops.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by procrj

Noted. Will be on nav as this is my first time on this route.
What places would you recommend in Vellore or before Chittoor?

Originally Posted by tharian

https://goo.gl/maps/nxPBxri4kRjbMfLg7

https://goo.gl/maps/GjAo5fDQPJ7akXfaA

https://goo.gl/maps/vw8YvB8ge6BTLdZz7

I would recommend the last location as you get clean toilets as well as various restaurants under one roof. Only thing is you will reach is quite fast as it is just outside Kolar. I normally take parcel from here and munch on the way. That way I don't have to make too many stops.

Regarding places to break for food/bio:
There is Sree Krishna Bhavan on the right side (while going from BLR) just after Nangli town but before KA-AP border Toll plaza at Gaddrur. You'll have to make a U-turn to reach this. Nice ambience and clean restrooms.
Few months ago, BHPian ravib had posted about new location of Nandi Food Plaza on Bangarupalayam by-pass along with pics. This is again on right side while going to Chitoor.

Just to add to what tharian has posted about route via Vellore. You still have to manage the bad sections in the 4-laning-in-progress between start of Chitoor by-pass and Naraharipet (about 17 kms). If you choose to go via Ranipet , roads are better once you reach TN (near Zion Hill Church). This will mean additional 8kms of bad/under construction roads between Naraharipet and Zion Church. In any case, no decent places to break between Chitoor by-pass and Vellore/Ranipet.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by tharian

Vellore town

Took the Chittoor route to Chennai and it was a breeze!
- Left North Bangalore - 4.05 am.
- Hoskote Toll - 4.30 am
- Chittoor Bypass - 6.15 am
- A2B Arcot for breakfast - 7.15 am - via Vellore town. Fog + bad roads did slow me down quiet a bit in this stretch
- Reached Chennai proper - 10 am

Chennasamudran toll was the only one where I had to spend 5 min because the cash line was very long and they were blocking the entrance to the tag lanes

Total drive time of ~5 hours for a distance of 360 kms point to point.
Chittoor route is definitely a boon for people traveling to/from North/East BLR. Tolls cost less, much lesser traffic and once Chittoor - Ranipet section is done, it will be a lot faster as well.

[saisree]

Originally Posted by procrj

Took the Chittoor route to Chennai and it was a breeze!

Driving on this route is always a breeze!.

Originally Posted by procrj

Chennasamudran toll was the only one where I had to spend 5 min because the cash line was very long and they were blocking the entrance to the tag lanes

One of the busiest toll plaza in this route and good to see that its Fastag functional.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by tharian

Yes, you save a bit on toll compared to the Krishnagiri route. I've been sticking to this route always since last year. Makes sense for me since I stay in Bangalore East.

If those WiP stretches are done, it will be a breeze. I sometimes cut off to Vellore after Chittoor to avoid some of the bad stretch and the railway gate.
One thing I noticed was, when it was a single lane road, truck traffic was quite a bit and I remember how frustrating it got. Now after it has become a laned road, I hardly see any trucks, which in other words is good.

Vellore after Chittoor - just around the bypass the road forks and to the left is the highway / concrete road that opens into Ranipet, and to the right you get a single road (but lots of trees, what a bonus) that takes you through Katpadi and some part of Vellore town before joining the highway closer to Vellore than to Ranipet. I took that yesterday as while traffic was certainly slower, there were several food options on the way in and before Katpadi.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by hserus

Vellore after Chittoor - just around the bypass the road forks and to the left is the highway / concrete road that opens into Ranipet, and to the right you get a single road (but lots of trees, what a bonus) that takes you through Katpadi and some part of Vellore town before joining the highway closer to Vellore than to Ranipet. I took that yesterday as while traffic was certainly slower, there were several food options on the way in and before Katpadi.

Yes, Katpadi town. Don't know why I kept saying Vellore town. I got stuck at the railway gate few times and had seen this road once and wanted to try it out. It's actually longer than going via Ranipet. The only advantage is that you escape a few kms of the under construction road to Ranipet.

[BenjiRoss]

I'm travelling to ECR in Chennai from Vellore. My destination is close to VGP. What is the best route?

[procrj]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

Chennai from Vellore

Sriperumbudur - Mudichur - Vandalur - Kelambakkam - ECR should be the best bet

[BenjiRoss]

Originally Posted by procrj

Sriperumbudur - Mudichur - Vandalur - Kelambakkam - ECR should be the best bet

This is the route i ended up taking today. It took a little more than 2.5 hours. The worst wait was at Chennadamudram toll. Fastag working was spotty and some vehicles were taking a long time. There were 2 fastag and 3 cash lanes.
The route above goes off the highway at Sriperumbudur. It's certainly timesaving, but the roads are not good. Several sections were quite bad even before you reach Vandalur.

[tharian]

Did Blore- Mylapore on the usual route, via Chittoor yesterday. I was on my bike this time and was blessed with empty roads almost till Sriperembadur.
Noticed all the toll booths had been divided between fast tag and cash, but since traffic was low, they were hardly any lines.
I was able to do whole trip in 6 hours with a half hour halt. Because of less traffic and being on a bike, I was able to keep a good average.
The bad stretch from Chittoor bypass didn't seem that bad on the bike either.

Noticed metro work has started after entering Poonamalle road and 6 laning work in full swing between Ranipet and Sriperembadur.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by tharian

Did Blore- Mylapore on the usual route, via Chittoor yesterday. I was on my bike this time and was blessed with empty roads almost till Sriperembadur.
Noticed all the toll booths had been divided between fast tag and cash, but since traffic was low, they were hardly any lines.
I was able to do whole trip in 6 hours with a half hour halt. Because of less traffic and being on a bike, I was able to keep a good average.
The bad stretch from Chittoor bypass didn't seem that bad on the bike either...

Whats your usual time on the vellore route? I found the roads to be bad between Poonamallee and Ranipet. The rest is such a beautiful road. I did the whole in around 5 hours or so (discounting break times). A couple of friends suggested the Chittoor route, so thinking of taking it on return.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Whats your usual time on the vellore route? I found the roads to be bad between Poonamallee and Ranipet. The rest is such a beautiful road. I did the whole in around 5 hours or so (discounting break times). A couple of friends suggested the Chittoor route, so thinking of taking it on return.

I did Chennai-Blore couple of months ago by car and left in the afternoon around 1p from Mylapore and reached home in Blore East by 7:30p with a 45 mins halt. I went upto Vellore and cut off to Chittoor via Katpadi. The faster route is via Krishnagiri if you remove the heavy traffic nearing E-City or after Hosur.
You can also cut off to Ranipet and approach Chittoor which will be a shorter distance than going via Vellore and going to Chittoor.

The fast stretch is from Chittoor to Kolar/Hoskote.