[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by mah45

Thanks, anything closer to Kanchipuram is preferable since I will be starting in the morning from Chennai

Originally Posted by NPV

Nothing can beat Sai Sangeet at Chengulikuppam near Vaniyambadi but it’s on the right side while coming from Chennai, definitely worth it.

One more option is Hotel Alankar (on your side/left) near Arcot.

I'd highly recommend Alankar : They have a multi cousine restaurant on the ground floor and serve south Indian thali meals on the first floor.

I always stop here for their yummy and sumptuous meal Place is very clean and service is quick. It could be bit crowded during rush hour though.

Sharing the location pin for exact location as there is one more restaurant with similar name just few hundred meters before this one.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/PJJBtPZQKC3bthEX8

[anandhsub]

Chennasamudram to Nemili is clearly a tale of 2 halves now. I would say till Kanchipuram it is probably in the best state it has ever been. The 6 lane and flyover stretches more than make up for the diversions.

Kanchipuram to Sriperumbadur however is a nightmare. The main road ( both the 4 lane and even a few of the 6 lane stretches) are in a pathetic state. The diversions are also not properly planned and the service road is in an equally bad condition and most of them cannot take a truck and a car side by side.

Also in this stretch I don't know why there are flyovers being constructed at some random junctions but none near SIPCOT for the trucks to enter the highway and take an u turn. Going to be a pain once the other stretches are finished.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I totally agree with you. I had to drive on this stretch last week and I have never seen this road like this, its at its worst.

I have been telling this many times now. For the next 1-2 years it's time to enjoy train travel! Esp Vande Bharat!

Its definitely not worth driving in such horrid condition especially when it takes away you peace (a piece as well) of mind.

[tharian]

With VB doing Bangalore - Chennai in 4 hours now with the speeds increased between Bangalore and Jolarpet recently, it is a good option apart from the difficulty to some with it stopping only at Bangalore City and KR puram.

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by tharian

With VB doing Bangalore - Chennai in 4 hours now with the speeds increased between Bangalore and Jolarpet recently, it is a good option apart from the difficulty to some with it stopping only at Bangalore City and KR puram.

VB is a good alternative. With stoppage at KR puram and metro connection, it is much easier option, specially for folks living in eastern bangalore.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by tharian

With VB doing Bangalore - Chennai in 4 hours now with the speeds increased between Bangalore and Jolarpet recently, it is a good option apart from the difficulty to some with it stopping only at Bangalore City and KR puram.

While the speed trials have been conducted for 130 kmph between JTJ and SBC the increase in MPS has not yet been approved as I understand. I did not see any news item also mentioning the speed has been approved. In all probability KJM-KPN may be revised to 130 kmph while KPN-JTJ may continue to remain the current MPS due to the Mulanur Ghat section. KJM-SBC may see the current MPS continue in my opinion until the quadrupling of tracks get competed.

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

VB is a good alternative. With stoppage at KR puram and metro connection, it is much easier option, specially for folks living in eastern bangalore.

KR Puram and the Metro connection opens a convenient access to a whole lot of places. Personally I feel both the Shatabdis and both the VBs' should stop at KJM

[DasAuto1985]

Unfortunately had to drive this route after a gap of about a year and boy has it worsened. There are some stretches which have been completed and they give a glimpse of how this road would eventually look like, but till then it is best to avoid this "highway" altogether. I feel some of the works are totally unnecessary (like the ones in Krishnagiri, Arcot) as i have never seen traffic getting built up here, till they started to fix a problem that wasn't there in the first place. I am so frustrated, that seriously thinking of suing the stakeholders involved for utter failure of infra between 2 major cities. If this is some secret plan by the govt to encourage public transport, it definitely seems to be working. Vande Bharat it is, going forward. End of rant.

[Capri89]

Motorists put to hardship as work to widen Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway remains pending

According to sources, the main cause of the delay is the State-run thermal power plants saying they do not have enough fly ash to supply the contractor widening a section of the road between Sriperumbudur and Walajahpet

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...le69050620.ece

[iamnarayang]

Originally Posted by DasAuto1985

Unfortunately had to drive this route after a gap of about a year and boy has it worsened. End of rant.

I will be driving to Chennai on Sunday, January 5th morning from Bangalore. I was just going to enquire about the road conditions and then I saw your posting. Do you think that the Chitoor route is better than the Krishnagiri route? Train travel is not an option for me. Kindly advise.

Regards,
Narayan.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by iamnarayang

I will be driving to Chennai on Sunday, January 5th morning from Bangalore. I was just going to enquire about the road conditions and then I saw your posting. Do you think that the Chitoor route is better than the Krishnagiri route? Train travel is not an option for me. Kindly advise.

Regards,
Narayan.

Hi Narayan,

Not sure from which part of Bangalore you will leave. If you are from south Bangalore and leaving on a sunday morning around 5/5.30 am start , you can still take Krishnagiri route, and from North/East Bangalore, eyes closed Chittoor route, but do consider fog delays and need to travel safe.

Rest assured, its a pain to travel in both Krishnagiri (worst) and Chittoor (okay) options , but no extra marks for the pain to describe between Chennasamudram to Sriperumbudur, as it is common for both routes either way

Cross posting my today's update via Chittoor route as an alternate:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post5904713 (Bangalore, Chennai via Chittoor : Route Queries)

-Ravi

[searacer932]

Originally Posted by searacer932

It's sad to see the poor condition of the Chennai Bangalore highway. The highway stretch between Chennai and Vellore is atrocious to say the least and it's a crime to collect toll in this stretch. Is it worth raising an issue on PG Portal grievance about this? The URL to this grievance site is : https://pgportal.gov.in/

I drove between Chennai and Vellore in May 2024 and there was no highway at many places. Had to drive in service lane for many many kilometers and it appears that things have remained the same since then. There were plenty of unfinished bridges with no sign of any construction! and the road was dug up at many many places. I suspect this situation will remain the same for the next couple of years until NHAI completes the Chennai Bangalore Expressway and post that may be they might divert funding and resources to the National Highway but there should be no toll collection between Chennai and Vellore until the time there is a road which qualifies the criteria of a 'National Highway'.

The Hindu has carried an article on the atrocious state of the Chennai Bangalore National Highway. I hope the authorities wake up now and stop charging toll on this highway.

Link to the report :

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...le69050620.ece

Excerpts from the report :

Travelling on the NH 48 (formerly NH 4), connecting Chennai with Bengaluru, is frankly a nightmare for motorists. According to sources, the main cause of the delay is the State-run thermal power plants (TPPs) saying they do not have enough fly ash to supply the contractor widening a section of the road between Sriperumbudur and Walajahpet.

The six-laning project, which was started in 2019 and was to have been completed in 2021, was stalled for at least two years due to the TPPs saying fly ash was not available as it had been allocated to cement and brick-making units. Some TPPs had told the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that they could purchase fly ash at ₹205/tonne and also bear the expenses for transporting it, an NHAI source said

Padmapriya of West Mambalam, who used the stretch recently, said while some portions of the road had service lanes, others did not. In some sections that are not in use due to the construction of subways, heavy vehicles can be found parked in the middle of the road. “During peak hours and at night, it is very difficult for cars and other smaller vehicles since we have to fight for space with the larger vehicles,” she said.

[hsprabhu]

Visiting Chennai for the international balloon festival. Starting from Bangalore (South Bangalore, near bannerghatta road/nice road intersection) Saturday 11th Jan 5AM. Location of the festival is South of Kovalam Beach - https://maps.app.goo.gl/RVRq2ukCDccrcGYr9
I have never done the bangalore-chennai. Gmaps is suggesting KRishnagiri-vellore route. But a friend suggested Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamali route. Which of these is better? Thanks in advance

[ravib]

Originally Posted by hsprabhu

Visiting Chennai for the international balloon festival. Starting from Bangalore (South Bangalore, near bannerghatta road/nice road intersection) Saturday 11th Jan 5AM. Location of the festival is South of Kovalam Beach - https://maps.app.goo.gl/RVRq2ukCDccrcGYr9
I have never done the bangalore-chennai. Gmaps is suggesting KRishnagiri-vellore route. But a friend suggested Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamali route. Which of these is better? Thanks in advance

Per BHPian Slavia2021 update in Bangalore-Chennai via Chittoor thread, it seems there are no potholes between Sriperumbudur to Chennasamudram as of yesterday and they would have fixed recently.

I hope they would have done the fixing potholes toward Madras inbound direction too.

So you can take Krishnagiri-Vellore route than to go via Thiruvannamalai. If you are willing to experiment, do take Tiruvannamalai route as well as roads are good in that side too.

-Ravi

[Laxmistart]

Originally Posted by hsprabhu

Visiting Chennai for the international balloon festival. Starting from Bangalore (South Bangalore, near bannerghatta road/nice road intersection) Saturday 11th Jan 5AM. Location of the festival is South of Kovalam Beach -

Based on last year's experience, it is recommended to approach and exit the festival site through the Mahabalipuram side rather than the Kovalam side.
Kovalam route is likely to experience heavy traffic jams as majority of Chennaiites are expected to flock to the exhibition on that day.

[searacer932]

Originally Posted by hsprabhu

Visiting Chennai for the international balloon festival. Starting from Bangalore (South Bangalore, near bannerghatta road/nice road intersection) Saturday 11th Jan 5AM. Location of the festival is South of Kovalam Beach - https://maps.app.goo.gl/RVRq2ukCDccrcGYr9
I have never done the bangalore-chennai. Gmaps is suggesting KRishnagiri-vellore route. But a friend suggested Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamali route. Which of these is better? Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by Laxmistart

Based on last year's experience, it is recommended to approach and exit the festival site through the Mahabalipuram side rather than the Kovalam side.
Kovalam route is likely to experience heavy traffic jams as majority of Chennaiites are expected to flock to the exhibition on that day.

Yes, I agree with the above suggestion of taking the Mahabs route.

I would suggest Krishnagiri - Thiruvanamalai - Tindivanam - Karunguzhi - Mahabalipuram route.