[ampere]

Originally Posted by narayans80

I wouldn't advise anything above 80 here. Near Tenneri left lane is with filled with rice husks. Few kms before there was Animal Planet happily relaxing in the fast lane

Do you mean this? : link

In other words:

- Suguvarachatram to Walajabad is 4-lane?
- We dont need to go into Suguvarachatram town but can exit from the bypass?
- Do you recommend to go all the way to Walajabad fork? Or Exit from Thenneri?
- I assume Walajabad fork all the way to Oragadam is also 4-lane?

Seems like a good option to try.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ampere

Do you mean this?

Your link shows all the way to Oragadam. SH-48 (Vandalur-Oragadam-Walajabad has been 4-lane for many years now. SH-120 is the new kid in the block with a spanking new 4-laned stretch.

- Suguvarachatram to Walajabad is 4-lane?

If you combine all 4-laned SH stretches there. YOu can start from Sunguvarchatram and reach Walajabad, Vandalur, Singaperumalkoil with 4-laned roads.

- We dont need to go into Suguvarachatram town but can exit from the bypass?

From Bangalore side there is no easy way. Going through town is easier than the detour on bypass. Even today Sunguvarchatram is a 1 km radius town. From Madras side and exiting out of SH-120 you can take the service road and meet the highway.

- Do you recommend to go all the way to Walajabad fork? Or Exit from Thenneri?

SH120 doesn't go all the way to Walajabad. It does meet SH48 halfway between Oragadam and Walajabad. I wouldn't suggest getting into smaller roads from SH120 to SH48. These are too small, lot of miscellaneous traffic and lot of speed breakers.

SH120 hasn't yet warmed up to handle traffic, there was very less when I drove at 8 pm last Saturday. The stretch is still sleepy, the reason for cattle, rice husks and small village crossings with 2-lanes. The speed breakers that used to exist have been flattened when I drove last week.

- I assume Walajabad fork all the way to Oragadam is also 4-lane?

Yes

[ampere]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Your link shows all the way to Oragadam. SH-48 (Vandalur-Oragadam-Walajabad has been 4-lane for many years now. SH-120 is the new kid in the block with a spanking new 4-laned stretch.

I meant trying this route to Chennai, all the way to Vandalur. So what you mention is yes, it is worth it. I will try it some time. Definitely driving on the NH4 all the way till Sri Perumbudur is pain. Thanks for letting us know !

If you combine all 4-laned SH stretches there. YOu can start from Sunguvarchatram and reach Walajabad, Vandalur, Singaperumalkoil with 4-laned roads.

Great to hear that! Will try this. Now the only hurdle is Perungulathur.

From Bangalore side there is no easy way. Going through town is easier than the detour on bypass. Even today Sunguvarchatram is a 1 km radius town. From Madras side and exiting out of SH-120 you can take the service road and meet the highway.

That was my thought too.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ampere

I meant trying this route to Chennai, all the way to Vandalur. So what you mention is yes, it is worth it. I will try it some time.

I've been trying this route since 2018 exactly for the below reason. And not just that, turning into Manimangalam/Oragadam or even getting out is a pain.

Definitely driving on the NH4 all the way till Sri Perumbudur is pain.

the only hurdle is Perungulathur.

Perungalathur should ease up due to 2 reasons.

Madras bound arm is getting ready, possibly by Diwali atleast that arm should open for traffic.

Southbound bus stand would move to Vandalur, its a matter of when. Although this has a different implication of getting to Vandalur-Kelambakkam road or reaching south suburban destinations like MM Nagar/Guduvancherry. It might not add to entropy entering Madras

[anandhsub]

3 speed breakers have come up on the stretch between Attibele and Hosur. Looking at the fresh coating of tar, it looks to have been laid fairly recently, in the last month or so.

When I drove down yesterday I saw 2 accidents, most likely caused due to cars getting rear ended when they braked sharply for the speed breakers. Many more cars jumped these speed breakers, failing to notice them in time.

Given the metro diversions on ORR, the mess at Attibele toll, the generally heavy traffic and now these speed breakers, this is probably the last time I take the regular route to Chennai. Either Sarjapur-Bagalur-Hosur or the Chittoor route it is for me even if I start early in the morning.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by narayans80

From Bangalore side there is no easy way. Going through town is easier than the detour on bypass. Even today Sunguvarchatram is a 1 km radius town. From Madras side and exiting out of SH-120 you can take the service road and meet the highway.

How easy is to to take the below route when compared to taking right at MGR statue to take the Oragadam road? During my recent drive Gmaps suggested me this Sunguvarchatram route as quickest but I didn't take.

Or is it that Sunguvarchatram - Walajabad is quicker/peaceful when compared to taking right at tht MGR statue to take the Oragadam road?

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

How easy is to to take the below route

Don't take any of the smaller roads. Stick to SHs. Smaller roads are filled with miscellaneous traffic and ad hoc speed breakers. Reason you see them as faster in Google Maps is because there is no traffic data and the calculation is done by average speeds of the type of road.

Or is it that Sunguvarchatram - Walajabad is quicker/peaceful when compared to taking right at tht MGR statue to take the Oragadam road?

It depends on the traffic on the main highway and how quick it is to take right. If you see lot of traffic accompanying you from Bangalore, then get off at Sunguvarchatram, that is sure shot indication there will be traffic at Sriperumbudur bypass.

Taking Sunguvarchatram-SH120 all the way-SH48 would be 5-10 minutes slower than taking right from Sriperumbudur bypass into SH57 to Oragadam.

Sriperumbudur-Manimangalam-Mudichur and Sriperumbudur-Kundrathur routes are getting traction a lot these days. Since there is no direct right to SH113/SH110, vehicles are taking the right for SH57 going on the wrong side and taking right onto SH113. This was happening at 10 pm

[tilt]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

How easy is to to take the below route *SNIP*

Apologies for going off-topic. Why does Cyrillic appear on the top Left corner of your Google Maps picture? Everywhere else the place names show up in English and the language of the state, but Pannur alone shows Cyrillic (Russian?).

Is it just one more idiosyncracy of Google Maps or is there a Russian connection to Pannur?

Cheers

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by tilt

Apologies for going off-topic. Why does Cyrillic appear on the top Left corner of your Google Maps picture? Everywhere else the place names show up in English and the language of the state, but Pannur alone shows Cyrillic (Russian?).

Is it just one more idiosyncracy of Google Maps or is there a Russian connection to Pannur?

Cheers

I have no idea. It looks very strange, maybe its a glitch.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I have no idea. It looks very strange, maybe its a glitch.

Maybe some Russian speaking guy needed to go there for some reason (eg a factory he was to visit) and pinned it in maps?

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by tilt

Is it just one more idiosyncracy of Google Maps or is there a Russian connection to Pannur?

Pannur is one of 2 sites shortlisted for the new airport. If there is any connection, should be through that. Otherwise most of the connection around the area has been with Japan or Korea.
---
Looks like some preliminary work is happening for the 6-lane expansion on Poonamalee-Sriperumbudur stretch. The shoulder or the entire stretch towards Sriperumbudur is closed.

No construction yet, but excavation is going on in parts of the stretch.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Looks like some preliminary work is happening for the 6-lane expansion on Poonamalee-Sriperumbudur stretch.

That's good news. Hope they construct grade separators at the turns to SIPCOT parks, Sriperumbudur town etc. The trailer trucks taking turn there is one bottle neck currently.

[ravib]

Again completed a Bangalore-Madras-Bangalore trip last weekend Apr 15th too via Chittoor route.
The road conditions remained same as on Apr 8th weekend.

Its more dangerous to drive post dark between Kanchipuram to Sriperumbudur, because of deep pits on high speed lane side, with no proper marking/reflectors and they just kept few drums/barrels. Some places there is deep pit, and some other places, they have joined and evened the road in both sides direction as part of 6L widening. Thus, its easy for opposite side vehicles to barge and take up the wrong side during overtaking as there is no median or no lane marking anywhere.

One of the bridges between Damal and Kaveripakkam is getting ready almost, pending side parapet wall construction. i hope they will finish it in 2 months and open that bridge for traffic. But honestly, i don't see any major intersection below that bridge and few other bridges too, so don't know why they constructed few such bridges. Will have to wait and see once entire stretch is ready.

The deviations and road surface in front of Kanchipuram entry arch is bad and slows down, but not a big worry.

Once again, the roads between Sriperumbudur-Kundrathur-Pallavaram was pretty good, with slow moving traffic between Kundrathur to Pallavaram. Cattles are the ones which needs to be watched out as they suddenly cross between the gaps in medians. Dangerous too unless you are keenly watching the roads. But given the road surface and negligible/minimal traffic, its easy to drive through instead of going via Sriperumbudur toll/Thandalam/Poonamalle/Maduravoyal/Koyambedu and beyond.

-Ravi

[chaksjr]

Hello!

Completed a Hosur - Chennai - Hosur round trip over the past 3 days. I took roughly 5 hours each way door to door. The road upto Walajahpet from Hosur is a bliss, you could lock your cruise control at 100 and forget about it. After Walajahpet all the way upto Chennai, there is a lot of road work going on with numerous diversions. Sriperumbudur is a slight bottle neck due to the SIPCOT traffic, but other than that its a pleasurable drive!

Spotted Citroen C3's on test on both up and down trips. Also saw a camouflaged XUV700 near Ambur while on the way back, no idea what was being tested though.

Numerous other spottings included a lot of windmill blades being transported, a BYD e6 and a TS police convoy.

[SR-71]

Another weekend another return trip from Bangalore to Chennai. This route is becoming really annoying to drive. Fun factor has gone down and the stress factor has gone up.

Onward trip found me leaving my home at 11:30 AM and reaching Chennai at 6:00 PM with a 30 minute lunch break at SaiSangeet. The stretch between Sungvachatram and Poonmalle is getting worse by the day. One of those many mini buses ferrying staff to various factories decided it was an wise idea to rear end my car. Thankfully, no damage except for superficial paint abrasions followed by testosterone fueled pointless arguments. Most drivers in this stretch are simply sucidal and crazy bumper to bumper traffic on a highway can drive even the peaceful lot to tear their hairs out!

Return was a 7PM to 1AM run with 30 minute dinner break and the car constantly at 90Kmph. An uneventful run though I was witness to 2 BMW drivers (a white 3 and a blue X3) driving like maniacs racing each other. Finally the worst stretch was actually inside the city. At every RED signal I stopped, I was always wary of someone rear-ending me. A look at the IRVM, would send my BP shooting north seeing a moron thunder down my way cutting out of the lane in the last minute and whiz past me without any respect for the signal. Of course, the city shared its own set of moron racers in a Mini & E-Class followed by a 5 series and then GLE AMG and a Fortuner deciding it was wise to stop in the middle of arterial road occupying 2 lanes and banter on something.

In short, I am just finding it less fun and more stressful to drive the southern stretches of late. Too many maniacs on the road with utter disregard for other road users. And the little said about the Chennai and Bangalore city drivers, the better!