[GurulovesFord]

Hi Mr mpksuhas,

I stay near Battrahalli junction(which is just around 10 kms to Hoskote toll). Have you recently travelled via Chittoor route to Chennai(I need to go to Velachery)? I have never travelled this section of the road in car. Do you have any idea how the roads are now? Or should I take 50 kms extra to go via Krishnagiri?

Thank you

[tharian]

Is e-pass mandatory anymore to enter TN?
Need to do a to and fro same day trip this weekend.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by GurulovesFord

Hi Mr mpksuhas,

I stay near Battrahalli junction(which is just around 10 kms to Hoskote toll). Have you recently travelled via Chittoor route to Chennai(I need to go to Velachery)? I have never travelled this section of the road in car. Do you have any idea how the roads are now? Or should I take 50 kms extra to go via Krishnagiri?

Thank you

The Chittoor route surface is slightly bumpier than the Krishnagiri route but given where you stay it is a no brainer. Even if you maintain slightly lower average speeds it is far shorter. The only issue is once you cross Maiyaas there are not many good restaurants until you hit Arcot but that shouldnt be a deal breaker.

Originally Posted by tharian

Is e-pass mandatory anymore to enter TN?
Need to do a to and fro same day trip this weekend.

No epass. You do need to do an eregistration on this website. But there is no checking as such.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by GurulovesFord

I stay near Battrahalli junction(which is just around 10 kms to Hoskote toll). Have you recently travelled via Chittoor route to Chennai

Its been a while since I took that route, however you can find the updates here (Bangalore, Chennai via Chittoor : Route Queries).

[NPV]

Finally, the bad condition of the highway between Vellore and Chennai has got some visibility and the high court has directed toll authorities in this stretch to collect only 50% of the fare for the next 2 weeks till the road is repaired.

CHENNAI: “What is the point of sending rockets to space when, even after 70 years of Independence, we cannot lay proper roads?” wondered the Madras High Court on Wednesday, while directing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to charge only 50 per cent of the toll in two plazas along the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway for the next two weeks for failing to maintain the busy stretch.

Source: New Indian Express

[tharian]

Originally Posted by NPV

Finally, the bad condition of the highway between Vellore and Chennai has got some visibility and the high court has directed toll authorities in this stretch to collect only 50% of the fare for the next 2 weeks till the road is repaired.


Source: New Indian Express

I'll be surprised if they actually implement the 50% toll. Knowing how our country works, the full charge will continue and the other 50% will go into someone's pocket.
I am travelling this Saturday, let's see.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by GurulovesFord

Hi Mr mpksuhas,
I stay near Battrahalli junction(which is just around 10 kms to Hoskote toll). Have you recently travelled via Chittoor route to Chennai(I need to go to Velachery)? I have never travelled this section of the road in car. Do you have any idea how the roads are now? Or should I take 50 kms extra to go via Krishnagiri?
Thank you

I did Chittoor route to Chennai on 31st Oct. Roads are super till KA-AP border. AP border (Nangali toll) to Chittoor bypass are also 4-laned and wide but made of concrete, so somewhat bumpy. But very peaceful to drive.
Only pain section in this route is between Chittoor bypass to TN border (Zion Hill Church) - about 25km of alternating good to bad/dusty sections which test your patience. Otherwise doable in any car. Given your starting point, I'd choose this route over Krishnagiri route. All of the above is assuming day time journey. Chittoor route is NOT recommended for night/dusk journey YET. If taking Chittoor route, do take TN e-pass with entry point as Serkadu.

Originally Posted by NPV

Finally, the bad condition of the highway between Vellore and Chennai has got some visibility and the high court has directed toll authorities in this stretch to collect only 50% of the fare for the next 2 weeks till the road is repaired.

Source: New Indian Express

I had been to Vellore from Bangalore last weekend. Even this section of the highway NH48 has developed lots of potholes. Particularly around Ambur. I suggest caution to even regular drivers on this route because we can easily be caught off-guard due to the smooth surface we're used to.

[GurulovesFord]

Hello Mr anandhsub

Thank you so much for the clarification. Will take this route. I don't over speed. I don't cross 90 even in very good highways. So, as you said, it's better to take this road.

Moreover, as I am travelling alone and I get my packed food I don't stop unless urgent. So, I can avoid having food in hotels.

Thank you!

Hi Mr srvm,


Thank you so much for your guidance and elaborate reply. As you pointed out, it is better for me to take the Chittoor route. 25 kms of bad route is not an issue as I already got used to drive in area where I live, which is full of pot holes with dusty roads. I don't think its going to be worse than this. I don't do night drives. I'll probably start my trip between 5 - 5 30 AM. Regarding the e-pass, as you said I'll provide entry point as Serkadu.

Thank you!

[anandhsub]

Came to Chennai today. The stretch approaching the Sriperumbudur toll is pretty much in the worst condition I have ever seen. The Chennai bypass is also in terrible condition. Small respite is that no toll is collected at Chennasamudram, but that barely compensates for the wheel alignment I need to check after hitting a couple of potholes at decent speeds.

Heavy fog as well, until ~7 30 or so till Pallikonda. The Electronic City flyover had very poor visibility and as usual morons had started using blinkers. What I don't get is, aren't they bothered by the blinkers on the car in front of them? Shouldn't that make them realise blinkers at high speed when there are vehicles behind is such a pain.

[The_Road_Rover]

Hi all, how is the road condition between Bengaluru and Chennai via Krishnagiri? Could you please be precise?

I'm a first time driver of this route. I don't even have a slightest of idea as to how the roads are in this route. So I would love a detailed information.

I am curious if a part of this route is under construction or bumpy due to patch works or the entire route is butter smooth?

Thanks in advance.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by The_Road_Rover

Hi all, how is the road condition between Bengaluru and Chennai via Krishnagiri? Could you please be precise?

I'm a first time driver of this route. I don't even have a slightest of idea as to how the roads are in this route. So I would love a detailed information.

I am curious if a part of this route is under construction or bumpy due to patch works or the entire route is butter smooth?

Thanks in advance.

Via Krishnagiri, from Bangalore upto Ranipet or the till the 6 lane lasts, is good and you can maintain good speeds. After that, because of the recent rains, there are potholes all the way till Chennai bypass. It's the same on the return as well. You'll have to be careful since there will be lot braking and swerving to avoid potholes and is like playing a video game. Due to the 6 laning, there are some deviations as well where flyovers are under construction. Those are quite smooth deviations. Check previous posts for more info.

Avoid passing Sriperembadur during factory shift end timings which starts around 5pm since there will be traffic piled up on both directions.
There are these SUV's with loud horns and tinted glasses with some party flag who think they own the road. Since you are a first timer on this stretch, just give them way.

I did a one day trip yesterday and left Mylapore at 4pm, stopped at Shell on Poonamalle road to fill fuel and buy some sandwiches and reached Sriperembadur around 545p and it took me 90 minutes to cross that area. There was slow moving jam which was around 2-3 kms long. Finally, I was able to make up for lost time on the 6 lane and reached home in 7 hours which was the longest journey from Chennai.
It's sad that such quality of asphalt is done that in just couple of weeks of rain and a major highway is gone bad.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by The_Road_Rover

Hi all, how is the road condition between Bengaluru and Chennai via Krishnagiri? Could you please be precise?

Bangalore till Vaniyambadi is butter smooth, except for some very mild bad patches around Hosur. The stretch near Ambur has deteriorated considerably but was already being fixed when I drove yesterday. It should be fixed by Christmas.
From Ranipet to Chennai the surface is quite bad except for a few stretches, need to zigzag a lot as these are not just rough patches, proper potholes. There are also a couple of diversions due tothe six laning work. The road particularly gets particularly bad as you near the Sriperumbudur toll, I hit a couple of deep potholes which I couldn't avoid.
I am assuming some of the really deep holes will get filled fairly soon but the road won't really get a fresh surface until they complete the six laning which will take atleast another year.

[arunramaswamy]

Hey BHPans,

How is the traffic situation at the Mudichur-Sriperambudur junction when we start at 7am in the morning from Tambaram on a weekday?

[anandhsub]

It is mostly heavy all through the day. When I went to Chennai this weekend on the opposite side the jam from the junction extended all the way post the Rajiv Gandhi memorial junction at around 9 AM. So much that it actually impacted traffic on my side due to people waiting to take an u turn( illegal??). I guess it would be worse on a weekday.

[hamster]

SBC-CHN Roadies,
We are planning for single day trip to Bangalore from Chennai this weekend.

While a lot has been said over the road conditions in the previous posts, is a epass/epass registration required for entering Bangalore from TN ?
In the TN side, I could see there is no requirement for epass, but a registration would do (https://eregister.tnega.org/#/user/pass ), which we will comply with.

Plan is a start at 5 AM on Saturday/Sunday, reach Whitefield Bangalore by 11:30, have a couple of chores to finish in Whitefield and Malleshwaram, are start by 5 PM from Bangalore to reach Chennai before midnight. Hope this is doable (fingers crossed)

Plan is also to stop for breakast and dinner at Sai Sangeet Vaniyambadi.
Any recent visits and suggestions would be helpful .

Any suggestions for a safe lunch (veg) in Bangalore in the stretch between Whitefield to Malleswaram is also highly appreciated.