[denver85]

Originally Posted by binand

Also - what is the best route to hit Kelambakkam (on OMR) from the GQ? I usually take Maduravoyal-Chennai bypass-Tambaram-Medavakkam-Sholinganallur, but since I'm alone I am open to trying something new. Don't want bad roads - low GC car etc.

I nomally takes Srivillaputhur(Nokia SEZ)-Oragadam-Padappai-Vandalur-Kelambakkam. Good roads all the way with less traffic. There is a small section around 300 meters near Oragadam which is bad due to flyover work.

[sunsetorange]

Originally Posted by denver85

I nomally takes Srivillaputhur(Nokia SEZ)-Oragadam-Padappai-Vandalur-Kelambakkam.

Wouldn't that be sriperumbudur?

[denver85]

Originally Posted by sunsetorange

Wouldn't that be sriperumbudur?

Sorry. Typo error, thanks for correction. Effect of typing here after looking at the Bangalore-Trivandrum route thread
Here is the map link: http://goo.gl/maps/d4Urq

[ramanan.skr]

You can also try Sriperumpudur - Manimangalam - Vandalur - Kelambakkam. Roads were fine 3 months back except a 100m river crossing near Sriperumpudur. Search for this route in Gmaps (SH110)

[ampere]

Guys

@NPV mentioned that Chitoor route to Chennai may have road blocks due to AP agitation. I think in these times its better to stick to Hosur/Krishnagiri route.

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by ampere

Guys

@NPV mentioned that Chitoor route to Chennai may have road blocks due to AP agitation. I think in these times its better to stick to Hosur/Krishnagiri route.

I can confirm that this was this case for 2 days earlier this week : Wednesday and Thursday. All KSRTC buses etc that used to take the Chittoor route to Chennai were redirected to go via the Hosur route.

I don't know if that is still the case though.

[binand]

Originally Posted by denver85

I nomally takes Srivillaputhur(Nokia SEZ)-Oragadam-Padappai-Vandalur-Kelambakkam. Good roads all the way with less traffic. There is a small section around 300 meters near Oragadam which is bad due to flyover work.

It is not 300m anymore - it is probably less than 50m. And boy - what a route! This is Chennai's best kept secret, I should think. Very well laid and maintained 4-lane, dual carriageway (well, there are small stretches where it is single carriageway) road all the way from Sriperumbudur to Kelambakkam. Very little traffic - I did this distance (about 50 km I think) in less than an hour (9:30 AM off NH4, 10:25 AM I was at Padur). I am sure it would have taken near two hours at this time if I had come via Poonamallee-Porur and then whatever combination. This road (alongwith Kelambakkam-Covelong road) is great for people travelling to south Chennai (GST/OMR/ECR) and also is a very good west-south bypass for Chennai. The only blemish is the traffic buildup in Kelambakkam town.

Quick question: between Padappai and Vandalur, this road is traversed by way of two flyovers - one for each carriageway (it did not have an interchange with my road) by a road that looked six-laned to me. I initially thought it was the Chennai bypass, but of course it isn't - any idea which road this is?

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

You can also try Sriperumpudur - Manimangalam - Vandalur - Kelambakkam. Roads were fine 3 months back except a 100m river crossing near Sriperumpudur. Search for this route in Gmaps (SH110)

Next time. :-) This appears shorter, but the other one had good recommendations and was also looking good in Google Earth.

Originally Posted by ampere

@NPV mentioned that Chitoor route to Chennai may have road blocks due to AP agitation. I think in these times its better to stick to Hosur/Krishnagiri route.

I left home at 4:30 AM and was at Attibele toll booth at 5:10 AM. I was out of Hosur town limits only by 6:00 AM. I am scared to think how it would be on my return (weekday, mid-morning). I will take some road blocks in AP any day over the disaster that is NH7 widening in Hosur town - at least, with road blocks you know they'll lift after a while.

A random observation - now that a large chunk of the GQ route has been six-laned, it feels rather awkward in the four-laned stretches (Ambur town and surroundings, for example). :-)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by binand

I left home at 4:30 AM and was at Attibele toll booth at 5:10 AM. I was out of Hosur town limits only by 6:00 AM. I am scared to think how it would be on my return (weekday, mid-morning). I will take some road blocks in AP any day over the disaster that is NH7 widening in Hosur town - at least, with road blocks you know they'll lift after a while.

I have a solution for this :

That area wakes up by 4AM. In other words trucks slowly start rolling up by 4AM. If you can manage to beat that its smooth. I tried once. Left home by 3:30/3:45. And was past Krishnagiri in good time driving sedately. Break fast can be had at Aryas past the Palikonda toll. The food is not that great as A2B, but for the crowd in that section, I would take this any day ! They open by 7.

The place is about 200km from Silk Board. So it would take about 2:30 to 3 hours with sedate speeds.

[binand]

Originally Posted by ampere

That area wakes up by 4AM. In other words trucks slowly start rolling up by 4AM. If you can manage to beat that its smooth.

The present problem is due to widening work. First of all, the carriageway is now just one lane wide. Second, all the parking space for trucks waiting for sales tax/RTO clearance is gone. The combination makes it a nightmare to cross Hosur town.

[binand]

Originally Posted by binand

I am scared to think how it would be on my return (weekday, mid-morning).

Quoting myself, and that too back-to-back posts. Shoot me - but please don't ban me :-(

I am now thinking of Hosur-Bagalur-Sarjapur-Iblur-Bellandur on my way back. I will be starting from Chennai on Tuesday morning around 4 AM (if everything goes well - else Wednesday), and plan to reach Bangalore by mid-morning. I need to be in office by noon.

I really don't want to go through Hosur, E-City toll, Silk Board etc. at that time. The other routes that I am aware of, and have tried already, all go through AP (Ranipet-Chittoor, Gudiyattam-Palamneru, Gudiyattam-Venkatagirikota-Kolar).

Every time I visit Chennai I ask myself this question - whatever prompted me to settle in Bangalore? And then I step out of my car and answer myself - the weather. :-)

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by binand

I am now thinking of Hosur-Bagalur-Sarjapur-Iblur-Bellandur on my way back.

I was about to suggest you this route. Post the six-lane mess in Hosur, I started taking this on my way to hometown.(Erode/CBE). And you bet this is much quicker. You avoid Hosur town with the bonus of skipping Attibele toll. Just be careful as the road is winding and the stretch between Hosur-Bagalur is a little bumpy. It's not bad, but more like a horse-back ride, my daughter enjoys it though!.

Originally Posted by binand

The other routes that I am aware of, and have tried already, all go through AP (Ranipet-Chittoor, Gudiyattam-Palamneru, Gudiyattam-Venkatagirikota-Kolar).

Friday's TOI mentioned that KSRTC have started plying to Chittoor district. But then again, today's carried the news that there is caste war on choosing the capital between the coastal and rayalaseema states. So better to avoid it now since the situation is tense.

Originally Posted by binand

Every time I visit Chennai I ask myself this question - whatever prompted me to settle in Bangalore? And then I step out of my car and answer myself - the weather. :-)

DITTO!!!!

[denver85]

Originally Posted by binand

It is not 300m anymore - it is probably less than 50m. And boy - what a route! This is Chennai's best kept secret, I should think. Very well laid and maintained 4-lane, dual carriageway (well, there are small stretches where it is single carriageway) road all the way from Sriperumbudur to Kelambakkam. Very little traffic - I did this distance (about 50 km I think) in less than an hour (9:30 AM off NH4, 10:25 AM I was at Padur). I am sure it would have taken near two hours at this time if I had come via Poonamallee-Porur and then whatever combination. This road (alongwith Kelambakkam-Covelong road) is great for people travelling to south Chennai (GST/OMR/ECR) and also is a very good west-south bypass for Chennai. The only blemish is the traffic buildup in Kelambakkam town.

Quick question: between Padappai and Vandalur, this road is traversed by way of two flyovers - one for each carriageway (it did not have an interchange with my road) by a road that looked six-laned to me. I initially thought it was the Chennai bypass, but of course it isn't - any idea which road this is?

Nice to know that the road conditions improved I usually takes the same time to reach Padur.
Please also try the Sriperumbudur-Manimangalam-Mudichur-Tambaram route(If you need to reach anywhere like Tambaram/Pallavaram/Chrompet etc.), it has the new tarmac. It's a bliss to drive till Mudichur(After that it usually be a cat and mouse play till Tambaram town). You will definitely this 2-line curvy roads after traveling on the monotonous GQ. Here goes the map: http://goo.gl/maps/ko3JS
I hope that 6-line carriage way is the extension to the Chennai bypass which will avoid the Perungalathoor and Vandalur towns.
Hosur-Bagalur-Sarjapur route is in pristine condition. I always takes this route while going back to Bangalore on the Sunday evening. The roads in the Sarjapur town is really bad. Rest everything is very good. Sparse traffic and excellent roads. You will never know you have crossed a state border.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ampere

@NPV mentioned that Chitoor route to Chennai may have road blocks due to AP agitation. I think in these times its better to stick to Hosur/Krishnagiri route.

A friend was traveling to Kancheepuram and took the old madras road yesterday. Due to a protest (mentioned there were burning tyres on the road), the entry was blocked before the border near Palamner.
Not wanting to take a chance at any other AP border like Venkatagirikota, etc, he drove back to Kolar and then took the road to Krishnagiri via Bangarpet. Then took Krishnagiri-Vellore-Kancheepuram, totalling almost 450Km to get there , only solace was roads were in good condition.

[RGP]

Originally Posted by binand

Every time I visit Chennai I ask myself this question - whatever prompted me to settle in Bangalore? And then I step out of my car and answer myself - the weather. :-)

Exactly!!
I like almost everything about Chennai except the weather.

[binand]

Originally Posted by binand

I am now thinking of Hosur-Bagalur-Sarjapur-Iblur-Bellandur on my way back.

Google's trying its level best to avoid the Carmelaram railway gate - is something wrong there? Flyover work? I will start from Chennai near 10:30 or 11 AM, so I'll be hitting Bangalore probably at peak evening traffic. I don't want this added hassle :-(