[ravib]

Originally Posted by binand

Are you coming to Bangalore for something time-sensitive, like a meeting or appointment? If yes, in your place I would seriously consider turning up the previous evening and staying overnight in Bangalore. As it is your proposed timing (5-6 hours) is very aggressive; and with metro construction on ORR these days there simply is no guarantee you can go from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time.

Originally Posted by narayans80

+1

Madras-Chennasamudram itself will take 2.5 hours easy. No way you can reach Marathahalli in 3.5 hours driving time during day. Early start meaning, you'll take breakfast somewhere and that'll add another 30 min (optimistic).

Absolutely. To reach Chennasamudram itself takes 2 to 2.5 hours at minimum depending on where you start from Madras. Same is true for Madras bound traffic too.

In addition to what binand says, consider the delays caused due to rains in Bangalore and also additional time due to potholes and patched roads. Usually these are not considered in general, but bangalore we have to unfortunately.

I drove from Madras to Bangalore yesterday. I started at 6.45 pm at Pallavaram and reached Bangalore C.V.Raman Nagar at 1 am, which includes a 45 minutes break for dinner and refuelling my EcoSport. I always avoid that late night drives, but due to unavoidable reasons and critical office work, had to drive. It was raining all along for most part.

Truck traffic is extremely heavy between Sriperumbudur to Kanchipuram and in reverse direction. Sriperumbudur junction alone takes 20 to 30 minutes to clear the traffic.

Good part is Kolar to Hoskote toll , most part of the road is newly tarred, but need to be careful as there are no lane markings.

-Ravi

[shyamk]

Originally Posted by normaltusker

Did a Bangalore - Chennai run today. The roads are great until Arcot. But as we approach Kanchi, they deteriorate as fast as a nuclear fusion reaction! The "icing on the cake" really was the last 77 KM that took me more than 2 hours to cover, thanks to the bad roads and equally bad traffic on entering Chennai. Overall, it took me close to 6.5 hours despite the fact that I started around 4:30 AM!

Which is why I gave up on the 4.30am start ! I usually start at 2pm these days from either end (even when I drive with kids and home minister). Get to bed at 9pm, wake up at 1am, shower and start the drive at 2am. Reach destination on either side at 6.30am, take a nap till 8am. Shower again and fresh as a daisy, ready for the day.

Any other time of the day takes me 6+ hours and is a colossal waste of time with all the construction from ranipet till madras.

[Mnjdnght]

Originally Posted by normaltusker

Overall, it took me close to 6.5 hours despite the fact that I started around 4:30 AM!

Originally Posted by shyamk

... start the drive at 2am. Reach destination on either side at 6.30am ...

Completely agree that Chennasamudram - Chennai is a royal pain these days. Coming to think of it, it always was, but now more than before and will continue so for some more time. But for those who cannot manage a 2 AM/ 3 AM start time from either end, you could consider a start time of around 6:30/ 7 AM from Bangalore. It wouldn't be too bad getting out of Bangalore at that time and you'll hit the dreaded stretch way past the morning rush hour. There will be traffic, but not as chaotic as during the rush hour (8-10AM) when long queues due to school/ staff buses are the norm. It should work in the reverse direction too, I think.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Mnjdnght

Completely agree that Chennasamudram - Chennai is a royal pain these days. Coming to think of it, it always was, but now more than before and will continue so for some more time. But for those who cannot manage a 2 AM/ 3 AM start time from either end, you could consider a start time of around 6:30/ 7 AM from Bangalore. It wouldn't be too bad getting out of Bangalore at that time and you'll hit the dreaded stretch way past the morning rush hour. There will be traffic, but not as chaotic as during the rush hour (8-10AM) when long queues due to school/ staff buses are the norm. It should work in the reverse direction too, I think.

+1
Even before the road widening work started, with potholed 4L roads from Chennasamudram to Sriperumbudur toll - it used to take anyways about 2 hours or little less, with sand showers from so many trucks.

Taking Hosur, Krishnagiri route anyway takes 6+ hours of E2E driving time nowadays. Am taking Chittoor route twice a month and it takes about 5 to 5.5 hours of E2E driving time.

That said, my personal view point. 2 am or 3 am start is really a bad time from safety perspective. Its the time that human brains don't work at all by design.
Even if we are very conscious and active, others driving on the road are not. Highly dangerous time. Anytime after 4/4.30 am is much better for driving. We saving about 30 minutes to 1 hour time, but risking our lives and others by driving in odd hours is not worth IMPO.

Agree with @Mnjdnght statement on leaving bangalore at 6 am is not bad and also we can reach Madras during noon, when traffic is not peak. Either way, no escape for last 100 kms. Sriperumbudur badly needs a flyover as it is becoming major pain to cross through.

-Ravi

[Jebs]

Thanks everyone for your inputs and it was really helped me for planning. That's the strength of this forum. Folks accompanied with me surprised to hear when I say about the diversions, nasty speed breakers and bad stretches on some places etc. All I got to know from this thread.

Apologies for not responding your queries as I was completely occupied due to customer visit. I had successfully completed the trip. Started off 5:30AM in Pallikaranai and reached Fortune Select Trinity hotel at brookefield at 11:30AM. We took the regular route (hosur). However, we have tried to avoid Sriperumbudur and took some narrow village route to catch Sunguvarchatram from Mannivakkam based on google maps suggestion.

On return, we started 3PM from Marathahalli and intentionally took Chittoor route for the experience. However, there was a very heavy rain all the way till Chittoor and we weren't able to enjoy the greenaries. Speed was limited to 80kmph as visibility wasn't that much great. Connected to Ranipet around 7:30PM and reached home at 9:30PM safely. There were only few stretches are bit patchy and overall the drive was really good.

[saisree]

While travelling to Chennai we should plan such that, we are not travelling between Vella Gate (Kanchipuram) and Sriperumbudur between 5:30 AM - 7 :00 AM in the morning and between 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM. You will have 100's of factory buses to get and to leave their employees.
With the existing roads between Chennasamudram and Poonamalle, Metro work between Poonamalle to Porur its hectic to follow these buses.


For people taking the Sriperumbudur->Oragadam -> Padappai -> Vandalur stretch, be prepared for a bottle neck at Padappai Junction. Was told there is going to be flyover to cross Padappai.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by saisree

For people taking the Sriperumbudur->Oragadam -> Padappai -> Vandalur stretch, be prepared for a bottle neck at Padappai Junction. Was told there is going to be flyover to cross Padappai.

Driving this route since 2017-18. Padappai has always been a bottleneck. But it usually takes 5 minutes to cross.

Nowadays I would skip Sriperumbudur junction and join at Sunguvarchatram

[Capri89]

Sunguvarchatram route to Bangalore is 15 kms extra over Sriperumbudur. But, yes, the roads are far less populated and driving will be smooth.

But at Sunguvarchatram a newbie can get confused as there is no left shoulder merger to NH. (Why didn't they do this). So one has to turn right and drive for a km or so and then turn left to merge with NH.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Capri89

So one has to turn right and drive for a km or so and then turn left to merge with NH.

Or go through the town, and take a right and go under the NH4 bridge. From Bangalore that seems the only way. I can't quite remember where the next U-turn is after Sunguvarchatram.

[mah45]

Hi
I am a frequent traveler between Chennai and Hosur.

I reside near Medavakkam and so take the Tambaram-Mudichur route via Mannivakkam - Padappai - Vallakottai - Sriperumbudur.
Find the roads to be wide except until Mannivakkam but somehow prefer this over going all the way to Vandalur and taking a right.

Even though I join Bangalore highway after the Sriperumbudur toll, still find so many diversions until Kanchipuram.
Last 2 - 3 trips have been really tiresome especially if we end up crossing this stretch in the evening or so.

I might be wrong but the progress seems to be extremely slow.
Any idea when is this road work supposed to be completed.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by mah45

I might be wrong but the progress seems to be extremely slow.
Any idea when is this road work supposed to be completed.

The progress is definitely slow. But then the traffic is high thanks to private busses and trucks. Go beyond Sriperumbudur by take taking Vandalur-Walaja road and join back at Sunguvarchatram. You gain another 30km of peace!

[mah45]

Originally Posted by ampere

The progress is definitely slow. But then the traffic is high thanks to private busses and trucks. Go beyond Sriperumbudur by take taking Vandalur-Walaja road and join back at Sunguvarchatram. You gain another 30km of peace!

I was just checking on GMaps, are you suggesting to go all the way to Walajabad and then join back to Sunguvarchatram.
If I just look for directions to Sunguvarchatram it seems to suggest some other route after the Oragadam bridge, hence asked.
I have just pasted the same below. Thanks again.

[shankar.balan]

I have to drive to Madras for some few days this weekend. I am absolutely dreading the thought.
Truly the entry and exit to and from any of our large cities, is just horrible.
Entering Madras via Porur is a very bad experience right from that Sri Perumbudur Toll onwards. And it is a miserable trudge towards Kotturpuram and Adyar and all. Entering Bangalore when returning is slightly better except for that useless signal just before the E City toll plaza and the miserable chaotic signal before NICE road and again the evil one at Hosa road. What massive pile ups Ive seen there recently!
I also cannot understand why the road surfaces at all the Toll Plaza approaches all along the highways are pathetic and full of bumps and potholes. Or is it a part of some Master Plan by the great authorities to ensure that we are reminded now and then at regular intervals that the toll highways are an aberration and that we must expect to see our normal potholed broken bumpy roads the moment we get off these…
I cannot for the life of me, understand why the ‘planners’ are unable to make life easy for the commuters. We will save so much by way of petrol and diesel and energy and stress and wear and tear if they do! And we will significantly reduce pollution as well!
And we sit and simmer like this and yet, as salaried people, we have no choice but to pay our taxes which are deducted at source. Seriously.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by mah45

I was just checking on GMaps, are you suggesting to go all the way to Walajabad and then join back to Sunguvarchatram.
If I just look for directions to Sunguvarchatram it seems to suggest some other route after the Oragadam bridge, hence asked.
I have just pasted the same below. Thanks again.

Both routes are good. I tried the SH120 route that's close to Walajabad. It is fully 4-laned now.

The Sriperumbudur Sipcot route (the screenshot you posted) was tried by Ravi

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Entering Madras via Porur is a very bad experience right from that Sri Perumbudur Toll onwards.

I've rarely gone via Porur (to T. Nagar) even before the metro construction began. It is even more avoidable now.

These days I get out of the highway at Sunguvarchatram and taken SH120-Oragadam

[ampere]

Originally Posted by narayans80

These days I get out of the highway at Sunguvarchatram and taken SH120-Oragadam

If and only Walaja-Kanchi was 4-lane (No plans?) and Kanchi+Walaja had a clean bypasses! I dont think its a tall ask and can be done easily. I think bypass solutions exist. But not in full flavour.