[varunasok]

Originally Posted by Kannan

I stay in Kalyan Nagar, Bengaluru and planning to go to Tambarm, Chennai. Am Planning to start around 5:00am on Tuesday in the morning.

Hi Kannan,

I recently did this trip starting (5 AM start) from Marathahalli via Chitoor. Two major advantages - Atibele toll and lesser by twenty kilometers. Two major disadvantages with Chitoor route are 1. Even though lesser traffic on the route, roads are a little bumpy. Be careful when you take each and every flyover post mulbagal. 2. Chitoor to Tamil Nadu - Four-lane work in progress. So expect broken roads for twenty kilometers. But having said that, I travel to Chennai only via Chitoor route now.

[Kannan]

Originally Posted by procrj

Chittoor bypass - Ranipet is the WIP section. Most of this route has good tarmac on one side of the 4L. Any car can do this section of the route. You also have the option of driving through Katpadi - Vellore instead of Ranipet. Hoskote - Chittoor is great and I would definitely recommend this route over Krishangiri or any other route for North & East BLR folks.

I will consider the Katpadi - Vellore which gives me options for breakfast. Thanks for the suggestion.

Originally Posted by ampere

If you do early morning 4/5AM, I would still recommend Krishnagiri. Because of that awesome 6-lane from Krishnagiri to Ranipet. And also the good places which open up early.

If it gets late, then Chitoor is better. But I am *NOT* very impressed with the 4-lane work. Its very bumpy. I hope they add a layer of tar on top.

And of course the Sriperumbdur-Manimangalam-Tabaram needs to be used.

Bumpy 4-lane road and more options for breakfast, seems to be the reason why my friend suggested Palamner ghat route, not sure have to check with him.

Originally Posted by anandhsub

As Ampere said the problem with a 5 am start is no eateries on the highway until Walajah which is nearly 250 kms from the start. Hence would recommend to stick to Hosur. What little time you lose before Attibele you will make it up easily. Also it being a weekday am not sure how the traffic in the Chittoor-Ranipet single lane will be since you will be hitting this section in peak hours. Have only ever done this on a weekend.

In case you still want to take the Kolar route stick to Chittoor unless you want to do this at leisure and want to check out the Palamner ghat. This is quite circuitous (but scenic) and would add 30mins easily. This made sense when the entire stretch from Mulbagal to Chittoor was under construction but not now.

I think I will be driving with an empty stomach, so planning to take some snack. I don't think I will be able to eat at neither Murugan Idly nor A2B if I take Chittoor - Ranipet route.

I'm planning to drive leisurely but at the same time end up in Chennai somewhere around 2pm. I just realized that Mulbagal to Chittoor is a new road.

Originally Posted by varunasok

Hi Kannan,

I recently did this trip starting (5 AM start) from Marathahalli via Chitoor. Two major advantages - Atibele toll and lesser by twenty kilometers. Two major disadvantages with Chitoor route are 1. Even though lesser traffic on the route, roads are a little bumpy. Be careful when you take each and every flyover post mulbagal. 2. Chitoor to Tamil Nadu - Four-lane work in progress. So expect broken roads for twenty kilometers. But having said that, I travel to Chennai only via Chitoor route now.

Thanks for the warning about the flyover, I will be careful.
Did you mean to say that all the fly overs are bumpy ones or the entire 4-lane stretch?

Where did you had breakfast?

[varunasok]

Originally Posted by Kannan

Thanks for the warning about the flyover, I will be careful.
Did you mean to say that all the fly overs are bumpy ones or the entire 4-lane stretch?

Where did you had breakfast?

Only the flyovers and that too once the concrete road starts after you cross your third toll booth.

I had my breakfast at Murugan Idly Shop soon after the Walajah toll (830 AM). There are eateries until you hit the Tirupati bypass. Once you cross Chitoor, it is better to have it after the Walajah toll.

[Kannan]

Thanks everyone for your views, I drove and took the Chittoor route. I was planning to take the Katpadi route but due to heavy fog (Check the below video), somehow I missed the route.

Heavy fog before hitting Chittoor to Vellore road.

By the way, there has been some kind of patch work using tarmac on top of the flyovers for smooth ride, I guess this is what varunasok was warning me about.

I absolutely loved the drive. Started at 05:15am and reached at 11:00am with 30 minutes break.

By the way when was speed limit increased from 80kmph to 100kmph? I could see signs indicating 100kmph.

[starboardsurfer]

Hi Guys,
I frequently do the Chennai - Bangalore route, so heres an update. The badly done patchwork between Sriperumbudur and Chennasamudram has started to develop potholes They aren't easily spottable as the patchwork is of varying height. On the other hand, the road after Kanchipuram to the Chennasamudram toll is being 6-laned. To get out of the city, the Poonamallee route has way better roads than Koyambedu-Maduravoyal route.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by Kannan

Thanks everyone for your views, I drove and took the Chittoor route. I was planning to take the Katpadi route but due to heavy fog (Check the below video), somehow I missed the route.

I drove around the same time on the same day and encountered fog between Kolar and Mulabagal, it had decreased after that. At some stretches it was so bad, that I had to reduce speed quite a bit.
I left home at 6am from Bangalore East and reached Mylapore by 1130 with a fuel stop. Since it was a weekday, there was morning rush hour traffic at Ranipet too.

You don't have to take the Katpadi route now since there is more of concrete lanes completed between the Katpadi cut off and the railway gate. The Katpadi route is longer by distance. Instead you can cut off to the right between Ranipet and Walajapet at St Mary's CSI Church by which you can escape the congestion at Walajapet town.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/12...8125!3e0?hl=en

Originally Posted by Kannan

By the way, there has been some kind of patch work using tarmac on top of the flyovers for smooth ride, I guess this is what varunasok was warning me about.

It is better now with the patch work on flyovers as well as the patch work done on some of the WIP stretches after Chittoor.
The bumps on the concrete flyovers had caught me unaware the first few times. The third lane on the flyovers on the concrete stretch is a complete no-no.

Originally Posted by Kannan

By the way when was speed limit increased from 80kmph to 100kmph? I could see signs indicating 100kmph.

I guess the 100 kmph signs are new. Those who don't know the road tend to speed, especially the concrete stretch which is actually risky because of the uneveness.

EDIT: The fasttag at the toll booths were quite seamless too. Most of the booths have maximum fasttag lanes. Except for one toll, were I had to reverese because of a jam, rest were quick.

[Kannan]

Originally Posted by tharian

You don't have to take the Katpadi route now since there is more of concrete lanes completed between the Katpadi cut off and the railway gate. The Katpadi route is longer by distance. Instead you can cut off to the right between Ranipet and Walajapet at St Mary's CSI Church by which you can escape the congestion at Walajapet town.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/12...8125!3e0?hl=en

Thank you for suggesting this route. I always have my break at the A2B and thats the reason I was planning to take the Katpadi route and somehow I missed it.

Originally Posted by tharian

It is better now with the patch work on flyovers as well as the patch work done on some of the WIP stretches after Chittoor.
The bumps on the concrete flyovers had caught me unaware the first few times. The third lane on the flyovers on the concrete stretch is a complete no-no.

Oh my god I totally forgot about mentioning the 3rd lane. Who in the sane mind decided to lay such a road is beyond me!.

Originally Posted by tharian

I guess the 100 kmph signs are new. Those who don't know the road tend to speed, especially the concrete stretch which is actually risky because of the uneveness.

Oh good, then we can expect the max speed limit to 100kmph in certain stretches in future.

Originally Posted by tharian

EDIT: The fasttag at the toll booths were quite seamless too. Most of the booths have maximum fasttag lanes. Except for one toll, were I had to reverese because of a jam, rest were quick.

Yes I too had a very positive experience on the FasTag. Didn't take more than 2 minutes to cross the tolls, probably because it was also a weekday.

I forgot to mention about the ghat section where they have put repeated sign post which had written something like "You are in a very dangerous ghat section", and indeed my car was speeding without even touching the accelerator and it's was a curvy ghat section. But somehow instead of scared I loved driving there albeit at relatively lower speeds.

[srvm]

Finance minister in her budget speech announced that work will start in next financial year on a 262-km-long, six-lane, access-controlled expressway between Bangalore and Chennai.

This expressway will begin at Hoskote near Bangalore and end at Outer Ring Road near Chennai. It is expected to cost Rs.20,000 crore and apparently 60 to 70% land acquisition is already completed.

Source

I wonder if another highway between the 2 southern cities is really needed. As it is, work is progressing at a fast pace to widen the old route via Old Madras road - Palamner - Chitoor - Ranipet.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by srvm

Finance minister in her budget speech announced that work will start in next financial year on a 262-km-long, six-lane, access-controlled expressway between Bangalore and Chennai.

As it exists today, I dont see that big a rush on the Krishnagiri-Arcot 6-lane sector. Why then the need for this additional expressway?

Even I dont see enough traffic on Bangalore-Chitoor sector.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by ampere

As it exists today, I dont see that big a rush on the Krishnagiri-Arcot 6-lane sector. Why then the need for this additional expressway?

Even I dont enough traffic on Bangalore-Chitoor sector.

Whenever such decisions crop up, especially where the road is set to cut through a huge chunk of reserve forest, all we have to check is which industrial or mining interest is going to be benefited.

This article is by leading environmental crusader Nityanand Jayaraman and he draws an interesting straight line between this and the upcoming Salem Chennai expressways and a new “mega port” called Kattupalli

https://thewire.in/environment/where...isation-awaits

Similar article from Indian Express

https://www.newindianexpress.com/sta...r-1849284.html

[Marine10]

Can someone help me with the number of tolls and Toll rates between Chennai and Bangalore via Chitoor route?

Planned route : Tambaram - Mudichur - Sriperumbuthur - Ranipet - Chitoor - Kolar

P.s : my apologies if the question is already answered, but I am unable to find the latest info here.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Marine10

Can someone help me with the number of tolls and Toll rates between Chennai and Bangalore via Chitoor route?

Planned route : Tambaram - Mudichur - Sriperumbuthur - Ranipet - Chitoor - Kolar

P.s : my apologies if the question is already answered, but I am unable to find the latest info here.

Very less, under 300 I think and most of that is due to joining the GQ route after Ranipet.

I guess once the under construction stretch is done they will erect toll gates and charge some amount to bring the charges for this route in line with the GQ route.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Marine10

Can someone help me with the number of tolls and Toll rates between Chennai and Bangalore via Chitoor route?

I don't think there are any tolls till you join the GQ at Sriperumbudur. Further, you join the highway ahead of the Sriperumbudur toll. So the only toll you have on the GQ is Chennasamudram (Rs. 45).

Between Chittoor and Bangalore there are only the two in Karnataka, Mulbagal and Hoskote AFAIK. That's Rs. 90.

If you take Pallikonda-Gudiyatam-Palamneru instead of Ranipet-Chittoor you add one more, Rs. 85.

Sriperumbudur is Rs. 55 if you do end up going through it.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Marine10

Can someone help me with the number of tolls and Toll rates between Chennai and Bangalore via Chitoor route?

Planned route : Tambaram - Mudichur - Sriperumbuthur - Ranipet - Chitoor - Kolar

P.s : my apologies if the question is already answered, but I am unable to find the latest info here.

You can get all tolls and charges related information from below link for any destination in below link.

http://tis.nhai.gov.in/tollplazasonmap?language=en

-Ravi

[balenoed_]

Fast Tag Experience via Hosur Road:

Did a Bangalore Chennai last weekend and that was my first experience with fast tag. It was a cake walk to get through all the toll gates with not even a minute of waiting time.

Except Attibele toll, every other one was just seamless. At Attibele it wasn't detecting and they just let me pass, I have no clue why.

Krishnagiri – 70/-
Vaniyambadi – 85/-
Pallikonda – 85/-
Chennasamaduram – 45/-