[tilt]

Has anyone driven (or is anyone driving) Bangalore Chennai after the cyclone, meaning yesterday or today?

Any info on whether it is doable, say tomorrow? Either route (Krishnagiri or Chittoor) is OK.

Thanks and cheers

[itwasntme]

A comprehensive update on the new Expressway from MoRTH.

https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.c.../105792254.cms

A noob question but does the alignment follow an existing route or is it totally greenfield? That is, if certain sections are finished earlier, can/will NHAI open them to users with the unfinished portions managed via detours/deviations? Or are there no motorable roads at all on the unfinished portions?

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

A noob question but does the alignment follow an existing route or is it totally greenfield?

It is a fully greenfield project. Even if you use some existing links between two stretches of the greenfield expressway, you will hardly gain any time.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by tilt

Has anyone driven (or is anyone driving) Bangalore Chennai after the cyclone, meaning yesterday or today?

Any info on whether it is doable, say tomorrow? Either route (Krishnagiri or Chittoor) is OK.

Thanks and cheers

I did the Krishnagiri route from Hosur yesterday and went all the way till Koyambedu as per the traditional alignment of the highway.

Roads between Ranipet and Chennai are at their worst. I went 2 weeks earlier and it was ok but yesterday was just horrible. The old tarred strech is horrible with 4-5 inch deep potholes everywhere but the most depressing part was that the newly laid sections are also crumbling with equally deep potholes in many places. They are so bad that I'm sort of sure that I bent one of the wheels. Maintaining distance between the vehicle in front is also difficult because someone else will try to fill up the gap. I gave up any hope of this stretch getting fixed. The approach to the final Sriperumbudur toll booth is so bad that I'm surprised how shamelessly they collect toll. Sorry for the rant.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by DigitalOne

It is a fully greenfield project. Even if you use some existing links between two stretches of the greenfield expressway, you will hardly gain any time.

Noted, thanks.

My vested interest is because we are in North BLR, and sometimes reaching E-City takes 2 hours on a bad day. Hence, anything which avoids that, say via the STRR + new alignment is a huge boon!

[TheARUN]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

The approach to the final Sriperumbudur toll booth is so bad that I'm surprised how shamelessly they collect toll. Sorry for the rant.

I've never been able to understand why such an important stretch, connecting Chennai and Bangalore that is common to both Chittoor and Krishnagiri is in such a state for such a long time. Same with the Krishnagiri to Tiruvannamalai stretch which is bread and butter for Bangalore Pondicherry travel

[Capri89]

Originally Posted by tilt

Has anyone driven (or is anyone driving) Bangalore Chennai after the cyclone, meaning yesterday or today?

Any info on whether it is doable..

I did this stretch on 6th. via Chittoor. Certainly doable.

Agreed there are potholes on the Ranipet - Sriperumbudur stretch, but, not as bad as made out to be. If you are a sedate driver there should be no problem.
For context, I covered this distance of 75 kms (upto Rajiv Gandhi memorial) in about 80 minutes.

Other points I would like to make are :

1. The STRR junction on the highway is shaping up nicely.
2. Works undergoing near Narsipura.
3. Small deviation near Chittoor collectorate.
4. Some digging taking place after the level crossing (Chittoor). Be extra careful here especially if you cross this after sunset.

[srvm]

Drove from Bangalore to Chennai today morning via Chittoor route.
Agree with observations made by Turbohead and Capri89.
Roads between chittoor and TN-AP border has some road work going on at some places. Nothing bothersome. Just be careful.
Ranipet-Sunguvarchatram has lots of potholes and poor tarmac. Keep speeds in check here. Doable in daylight. Dangerous at night. Can easily damage rims if you hit a pothole at speeds. This poor section is anyway common with krishnagiri route.

I branched off the highway at Sunguvarchatram to go towards Vandalur. So I don't know the condition of Sunguvarchatram - Poonamallee stretch.

Bangalore to Chittoor stretch remains as good as before.

[anandhsub]

Did Bangalore to Chennai today. Just me or have 1-2 flyovers in the Chennasamudram to kanchipuram stretch opened up to traffic in the last 2 months or so?

Felt like was taking them for the first time and Maps too was asking to divert into service road when the flyover was open..

[ampere]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Noted, thanks.

My vested interest is because we are in North BLR, and sometimes reaching E-City takes 2 hours on a bad day. Hence, anything which avoids that, say via the STRR + new alignment is a huge boon!

The 2024 completion is definitely way too ambitious. I was hoping for a mid-2025 opening. I also hope by this time the Chennai Peripheral ring road also completes. Another anticipated closure is the Chitoor-Thatchoor 4-lane, which will give access to North Chennai.

[tilt]

Originally Posted by tilt

Has anyone driven (or is anyone driving) Bangalore Chennai after the cyclone, meaning yesterday or today?

Any info on whether it is doable, say tomorrow? Either route (Krishnagiri or Chittoor) is OK.

Thanks and cheers

Originally Posted by Turbohead

I did the Krishnagiri route from Hosur yesterday and went all the way till Koyambedu as per the traditional alignment of the highway. *SNIP*.

Originally Posted by Capri89

I did this stretch on 6th. via Chittoor. Certainly doable.

Agreed there are potholes on the Ranipet - Sriperumbudur stretch, but, not as bad as made out to be. If you are a sedate driver there should be no problem.
*SNIP*

Thank you all

I returned last night after this drive. Other than the Ranipet-Chennai stretch highlighted by folks, it was all good - even traffic was manageable; and no disruptions anywhere dude to the cyclone.

I did comment to the Chennasamudram toll staff that the toll money should be put into the road instead of in the operators' pockets and he retorted "ohhhhh, sollidalaam saar" (ok ok of course we will tell them sir).

Cheers

[shankar.balan]

I just drove Bangalore to Madras this morning. All superb upto Chenna Samudram Toll. The traffic was orderly and patient but after Chenna Samudram the road surfaces are really very poor. It is saddening to see that even the stretches of road which were relaid nicely last year at this time, have become patchy with real bad sores on the surface, all due to the recent deluge of rains.
However, with the Thar (WRONGLER) and my AVO suspension we simply sailed through the whole journey.

[shankar.balan]

I drove Madras Bangalore again today (Return).
All the way from Kathipara through Butt Road, War Cemetery, Manapakkam, Porur Ramachandra and up until the Porur road reaches the Maduravoyal Flyover where one takes a left to Poonamallee, the road is in horrible condition. And then all the way up until the Chenna Samudram Toll also, the Road is full of broken patches and potholes and there are several StoneHenge like Flyover sites where plants are growing.

This is supposedly a National Highway connecting two important Southern Capitals and they charge a hefty toll for God’s Sake! Lord Gadkari are you listening to us Tax and Toll Paying Mortals?

Luckily I was in my Thar (WRONGLER) and honestly I was able to just ‘send it’ over all those rough patches and potholes and corrugations without a care in the world. It is really no wonder that India and Indians are crazy about SUV’s. Most of our daily use road conditions are like off road tracks, so why not?

[tilt]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I*SNIP*
All the way from Kathipara through Butt Road, War Cemetery, Manapakkam, Porur Ramachandra and up until the Porur road reaches the Maduravoyal Flyover where one takes a left to Poonamallee, the road is in horrible condition. *SNIP

The trick is to do the Mahalingapuram Loyola College Chetput subway Nelson Manickam Mudaliar Road Poonamallee High Road.

Cheers

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by tilt

The trick is to do the Mahalingapuram Loyola College Chetput subway Nelson Manickam Mudaliar Road Poonamallee High Road.

Cheers

Is the stretch between Koyambedu and Maduravoiyal on the bypass fixed?

Slightly OT for this thread, but after driving through the same stretch shankar.balan mentioned multiple times this year, I am surprised how much better the metro work on ORR in Bangalore has been managed vs the Arcot Road - Poonamallee phase in Chennai.

Not just the pace of construction but more about avoiding bottlenecks and making sure the remaining road is motorable.

Even though I think it is L&T that is doing the construction in Chennai vs NCC in Bangalore.