[tharian]

Originally Posted by bblost

Drove from Hyderabad to Chennai, today!

Roads are fine though a little construction as you approach Chennai. Best part of the trip, Fasttag is now available on the NAM highway.

Was there any checking for Covid related docs at the check posts?
I am travelling this Friday from Bangalore to Chennai and not sure if someone will ask for a RTPCR although I haven't come across that being asked yet.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by tharian

Was there any checking for Covid related docs at the check posts?
I am travelling this Friday from Bangalore to Chennai and not sure if someone will ask for a RTPCR although I haven't come across that being asked yet.

What is Covid?

No masks, no checking, no nothing.

Completely uneventful drive.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by bblost

What is Covid?

No masks, no checking, no nothing.

Completely uneventful drive.

Haha. Only checks needed are for you to ensure your tyres & wheels don't get damaged due to potholes between Chennasamudram Toll plaza to Madras city due to rains and also where road widening/construction work is in progress.

I guess Omicron will bring back the CAB discipline again in next few weeks. Let's see.

-Ravi

[callvvijay]

Drove to Bangalore via the Chittoor route (on 4th Dec) and drove back home (Chennai) via the Hosur route (on 6th Dec).

Both the routes are awesome between Bangalore and Ranipet.

Between Ranipet and Chennai, the roads are not up to the mark - but that doesn't mean its terrible/cannot drive. I was still able to maintain good speeds in these stretches.

Regarding RT-PCR, Covid restrictions et all - there is absolutely no checking whatsoever. I had carried the physical copy as well as soft-copy of our vaccine certificates as a precaution. But, no questions asked.

Thanks!

[monish_m]

Just completed Bangalore to Chennai via the Hosur route and the Whitefield - Attibele stretch is broken.

Planning to travel again and this time thinking of the Chittoor route, Surprisingly it is throwing another route from Chitooor, attaching the screenshot. Is this recommended!

Pls suggest.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by monish_m

Just completed Bangalore to Chennai via the Hosur route and the Whitefield - Attibele stretch is broken.

Planning to travel again and this time thinking of the Chittoor route, Surprisingly it is throwing another route from Chitooor, attaching the screenshot. Is this recommended!

Pls suggest.

Set GPS to Hosur through Nallur and then follow the 'normal' Bangalore to Chennai road through Krishnagiri-Ambur+Biriyani and onwards to Chennai.

The only time one would avoid this route is when there is a political situation that slows you down like last time Sashikala was being welcomed back to TN from Bangalore.

[monish_m]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Set GPS to Hosur through Nallur and then follow the 'normal' Bangalore to Chennai road through Krishnagiri-Ambur+Biriyani and onwards to Chennai.

The only time one would avoid this route is when there is a political situation that slows you down like last time Sashikala was being welcomed back to TN from Bangalore.

Thanks a lot, so from Varthur junction does this skip the Varthur - Dommasandra - Attibele route and takes the internal roads. Pls confirm.

[anandhsub]

Drove down to Chennai earlier today. Very sparse traffic hence even the diversions/ patched up roads post Chennasamudram werent really a big concern.

There is a new roadblock right after the Krishnagiri left turn which wasnt there the last time I took this road for Dussehra. I wonder what is being constructed here, doesnt seem like a new flyover. May be a new subway like the one in Vellore?

I wish they would build a flyover at Ambur. Pretty much the only time I had to come to a full stop on the entire trip, including the toll gates.

I have no idea how logistics work but having driven towards Kerala, Goa and now Chennai out of Bangalore over the last few weeks, I wonder whether given the trucker shortage, relatively new truckers drive on this easier Hosur to Chennai route while more experienced ones go toward Kerala or Mumbai which are longer and have the more difficult ghat and undivided sections.

Despite this being a fairly straightforward six laned highway truckers found it very difficult to maintain their lanes, and quite a few truckers even had to cut short their overtakes midway as they had misjudged it. This wasnt the case pre covid and even now rarely ever find truckers being unpredictable on the other highways.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by monish_m

Just completed Bangalore to Chennai via the Hosur route and the Whitefield - Attibele stretch is broken.

Planning to travel again and this time thinking of the Chittoor route, Surprisingly it is throwing another route from Chitooor, attaching the screenshot. Is this recommended!

Pls suggest.

No, don't take that route suggested. Not worth it.
I drove from Bangalore to Madras on 22nd Dec and took chittoor route. Just stick to regular route via Ranipet, and you will be fine. Not worth detouring via Nagari, Tiruttani and Tiruvallur.

-Ravi

[hserus]

Originally Posted by ravib

No, don't take that route suggested. Not worth it.
I drove from Bangalore to Madras on 22nd Dec and took chittoor route. Just stick to regular route via Ranipet, and you will be fine. Not worth detouring via Nagari, Tiruttani and Tiruvallur.

-Ravi

Besides that Tiruvallur Tiruttani road (the regular chennai tirupati route) is in disgusting condition with heavy truck traffic.

I took the Chitoor route today morning and most of the areas around the Chittoor bypass have been laid, one or two small diversions is all.

Several new good quality pumps (Shell and Reliance) along the road at regular intervals. The first Shell after Bangalore is together with a Maiyas restaurant, Dominos and Starbucks.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by monish_m

Thanks a lot, so from Varthur junction does this skip the Varthur - Dommasandra - Attibele route and takes the internal roads. Pls confirm.

The one marked in blue is the route you will have to take to join the Chennai highway from Varthur. Much better than the attibele route especially because you get to skip both the electronics city as well as attibele tolls.

However I stay on ORR, so I join this route using the Dodakkanelli road and hence not sure about the stretch from Varthur till Sarjapur road.

[sachinpk]

Planning for a quick run to Mahabalipuram. I am sure on the route till Arcot/Ranipet. After this Google shows the route via Enathur (Nr. Kancheepuram)->Walajabad->Palur->Chengalpattu->Tirukazhukundram->Panchanthiruthy. Is this a recommended route? From what I understand from a point before Enathur we will be moving out of the four-lane highway.

[binand]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Planning for a quick run to Mahabalipuram. I am sure on the route till Arcot/Ranipet. After this Google shows the route via Enathur (Nr. Kancheepuram)->Walajabad->Palur->Chengalpattu->Tirukazhukundram->Panchanthiruthy. Is this a recommended route?

If you want to turn off NH48 at Kanchipuram, then do it at the beginning of the bypass - turn into city access road from the west and take a right turn soon after (bypass to Tindivanam road). Just before the Palar bridge there is a small road leading to left, take that and hit the road coming from Kanchipuram town. About 1 km towards the town, you can turn off to Military road which eventually ends on Kanchipuram-Walajabad-Chengalpet road.

Personally, I hate the Kanchipuram-Walajabad road so prefer taking Sriperumbudur-Oragadam-Vandalur-Kelambakkam-Kovalam and then the ECR to Mahabalipuram. Despite going closer to Chennai city, this by virtue of being 4/6 lane dual carriageway throughout allows you to move a lot faster.

[Nimz]

Just to update. Took the Chitoor route for the first time in many years of doing the Blore - Chennai round trip. Pleasantly surprised with the drive and the time it took to reach home today + eating options. However there is a bit of a bad stretch from Ranipet to Chitoor. Particularly bad around the CMC Chitoor campus..

Safe driving.

[ninjatalli]

Drove down today early morning (~5.30am) from Bangalore (Bannerghatta road) to Chennai vai Krishnagiri route. Best time to travel - minimal traffic till Vellore; I reached Vellore in ~2.5 hours. Road condition is flawless till the last ~110 kms - multiple diversions after Ranipet plus moderate to bad roads (plus heavy Chennai city traffic) made the last portion much slower.

Originally Posted by Nimz

Just to update. Took the Chitoor route for the first time in many years of doing the Blore - Chennai round trip. Pleasantly surprised with the drive and the time it took to reach home today + eating options. However there is a bit of a bad stretch from Ranipet to Chitoor. Particularly bad around the CMC Chitoor campus..

Safe driving.

Thanks! How much of an additional time does it add over the default Krishnagiri route? I was planning on taking that on the return journey.

Also I wonder if there is an (better) alternate route to reach Chennai without taking the Ranipet - Sripermbudur - Chennai option.

-------------------

Edit: Apparently, there's no covid 3rd wave. No checking at the border or anywhere enroute. The petrol pump I stopped at - no masks. A large % of folks walking/close to the highways had no masks. While passing through TN cities, most local riders on two wheelers had no masks.