[narayans80]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

beware of the ordeal that is the highway underpass

That incurable disease has been there since 2017 when I first took a 2010 Corolla to this landmine, you'll have to baby the car for that stretch.

From the Bangalore side, you can U-turn further down on Sunguvarchatram bypass as mankuthimma found out in post 3900.

From Madras/Oragadam side, you can take the right into the service road before the underpass. Yes, it is 2-way since it also serves as the exit to Sriperumbudur Sipcot.

[prabhuferrari]

Tried a new route today. Saligramam Maduravayol thirumazhisai tiruvallur tiruttani sholingur ponnai chitoor mulbagal hoskote budigere bharatiya City. 5 h 35 min. 20 min more than usual but very pleasant except for the tiruttani bypass and 10 kms of chitoor peak city traffic. Started from chennai by 6.15 AM.

Roads are wide till tiruttani and then it becomes two lanes till ponnai. Good roads with small speed breakers around villages. Can easily drive at 70-80. Took me 3h to Chitoor. If you are not in a hurry and your destination is in north Bangalore you can try this route. Scenic and calm.

[innervoice]

Greetings All,

I am planning to drive with family from Tambaram to Hosa Road in first week of October. I have been on this route many times in the past before the start of pandemic and Mudichur-Manimangalam-Sriperumbadur-Vellore-Hosur route was my usual. But seeing the current messages, and also Google maps showing road constructions between Kanchipuram - Vellore, I am not sure how bad the situation is.

1) Please suggest how bad is the regular route of Mudichur-Manimangalam-Sriperumbadur-Vellore-Hosur. What is the good alternative?

2) I read in previous post that Murugan Idly near Kaveripakkam is closed, so what are the good options on the left side itself (towards Bangalore) stretch?

Please suggest safe and sound road conditions route to Bangalore and back to Tamabaram.

[tharian]

I am heading to Mylapore tomorrow and was looking for an alternate route to avoid Ponamallee road because of the metro work and traffic jams.
The last time I went on this road was in May on my bike and I was stuck in jams throughout the metro construction stretch. As I was on the bike, I was able to squeeze through, however this time it is in the car and I needed a better route while going and returning.

I found this route; Maduravoyal-Koyambedu-Vadapalani-Mylapore. Is this good or is there any other better route that is not too long either.

Thanks for the inputs.

[prabhuferrari]

Originally Posted by tharian

I found this route; Maduravoyal-Koyambedu-Vadapalani-Mylapore. Is this good or is there any other better route that is not too long either.

Thanks for the inputs.

If you are going via maduravayol then go straight till anna arch take right on to Nelson manickam road, sterling road, nungambakkam high road, gemini and then radhakrishnan salai and mylapore. Smoother than vadapalani.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by tharian

I found this route; Maduravoyal-Koyambedu-Vadapalani-Mylapore. Is this good or is there any other better route that is not too long either.

Thanks for the inputs.

All this depends on what time you're planning to come inside the city. Some parts of the city with schools/colleges are best avoided during opening/closing hours for example.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by innervoice

Greetings All,

I am planning to drive with family from Tambaram to Hosa Road in first week of October. I have been on this route many times in the past before the start of pandemic and Mudichur-Manimangalam-Sriperumbadur-Vellore-Hosur route was my usual. But seeing the current messages, and also Google maps showing road constructions between Kanchipuram - Vellore, I am not sure how bad the situation is.

1) Please suggest how bad is the regular route of Mudichur-Manimangalam-Sriperumbadur-Vellore-Hosur. What is the good alternative?

2) I read in previous post that Murugan Idly near Kaveripakkam is closed, so what are the good options on the left side itself (towards Bangalore) stretch?

Please suggest safe and sound road conditions route to Bangalore and back to Tamabaram.

If you are starting from Tambaram, then i suggest you better take Vandalur-Oragadam-Sunguvarchatram route and join NH.

I am not sure where you read, Murugan idli shop is closed. It is NOT closed. It is still functional, just that due to road constructions and now it is under the bridge, they have broken compound wall and made a new temporary entrance/exit . Otherwise, it is very much a good stop with ample parking space.

Beyond Chennasamudram , roads are good so no need to worry.

-Ravi
I am not sure

[smnrock]

Whitefield to Egmore starting at 4PM, Google suggests chitoor route. Is it good to go? Is there a murugan idli shop on this way?

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

[prabhuferrari]

Originally Posted by smnrock

Whitefield to Egmore starting at 4PM, Google suggests chitoor route. Is it good to go? Is there a murugan idli shop on this way?

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Yea chitoor route is good. There is one Aryaas right after channasamudram toll on the left side. Fast service and good food.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by smnrock

Whitefield to Egmore starting at 4PM, Google suggests chitoor route. Is it good to go? Is there a murugan idli shop on this way?

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Chittoor route is good to go and roads are fine 99%. Except for 1 to 2 kms and max driving time of about 5 to 10 minutes, road is not good, which is manageable.

I usually start around 4 pm from Bangalore and that timing works well.
You can Reach egmore around 11 pm, including dinner break. These are my usual timings in Chittoor route.

K.R.Puram to Nangli Toll Plaza in AP Border: ~ 110 kms - 1.5 hours
Nangli Toll Plaza to Mahasamudram Toll Plaza before Chittoor: ~ 70 kms - 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Mahasumdram Toll Plaza to Chennasamudram Toll Plaza: ~50 kms - 1 hour
Chennasamudram Toll Plaza to Kanchipuram - 45 minutes
Kanchipuram to Koyambedu - 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic.

So in total driving time will be about 5 to 5.5 hours, but in current situation variable factor is traffic jams and pile up post Chennasamudram toll till Sriperumbudur.
You can add the additional breaks for tea/dinner.

Two Murugan Idli shop are there post chennasamudram toll. First one on right side, but now we can't go there due to road constructions. And then left side one which is "okay type" but not great. I strongly recommend you to try out Upaashana in Kanchipuram which is excellent.

-Ravi

[tharian]

Drove to Chennai today via Krishnagiri. I left around 530am from home and was at Sriperembadur by 930am. It was a peaceful drive till there although traffic gradually increased from Vellore.
I stopped for around 15 minutes beside the highway somewhere in Sriperembadur and soon after I moved from that spot is when the jams started all the way to ring road. I was expecting jams on Poonamalle road all the to Guindy, but all the jams were till the ring road and the Poonamalle stretch was not bad probably because heavy vehicles not allowed.
It took me 4 hours to Sriperembadur and 3 hours from there to Mylapore!

And the toll via Krishnagiri is 475/- now. Too much given the states of the road and the flyovers that are WIP since many months now.

[prabhuferrari]

Returned to chennai via chitoor ranipet Sriperumbudur Kundrathur porur saligramam. 5 h 30 min driving time. I left at 1.30 PM and it was a very odd time and less traffic all the way. Kundrathur to Virugambakkam was slow but moving traffic.

[smnrock]

Originally Posted by prabhuferrari

Yea chitoor route is good. There is one Aryaas right after channasamudram toll on the left side. Fast service and good food.

Thanks. I started at 4.15 pm and reached pondy bazaar around 10.20 pm. Had dinner at Aryabhavan.

Originally Posted by ravib

And then left side one which is "okay type" but not great.

I was not aware of this murugan idli shop, and saw this only after i had dinner at aryabhavan. As prabhu mentioned, aryabhavan also served good food only, but for some reason if i get a chance, i will always prefer murugan idlis even if it is average

Return was next day and continued through krishnagiri route. Even though chithoor route is good, but it had too many cows on the road(even during dark time) and tractors without backlight, so preferred the krishnagiri route.

[hariswami]

Any recommendation on this route ? I have two bangalore-chennai-bangalore trips coming up in a span of 3 weeks and I already did one in August which was a nightmare from ranipet onwards

I am open to trying newer/safer routes avoiding the diversions (at least minimize )

travel time; leave b'lore by 630AM,,Used to reach Chennai by 1230pm 2 yrs back..But nowdays reaching only by 2pm

[ballkey]

Did a Chennai-Bangalore-Chennai this week. The Kundrathur-sriperumbudur road is a crucial time-saver; i only wish they put a proper right turn or even a u-turn a little later for people coming from bangalore. It could solve a lot of the unnecessary crowding and wrong-side traffic that happens here.

The krishnagiri route while great, is still very dangerous when it rains.
On 26th, there were massive sheets of water on the road(around krishnagiri) after one of the biggest downpours i have experienced on road. water stagnates on both sides of the road, so there's little margin for error.