[Mgdoodler]

Hello Fellow Travellers,

I am planning a road trip from Mumbai to Kolkata in the first week of Dec 2023.

My partner will be my Altroz aka Blue Rocket and I will be travelling solo.

Plan is to do Mumbai - Nagpur - Sambalpur -Kolkata to be covered over three days and return via Kolkata - Konark - Vishakhapatnam - Araku - Chitrakote falls - Hyderabad - Mumbai to to covered over Six days .

I request you to please advise if the route while going from Nagpur onwards via Sambalpur as shown by google maps via Mumbai - Kolkata Highway - AH46 is good and safe. As i can see on google maps, post Sambalpur its a mix of 2 lane undivided and 4 lane divided roads with some sections being constructed.

Also please recommend petrol pumps, restaurants or dhabas with clean reat rooms along this stretch from Sambalpur to Kolkata.

Any guidance regarding the route from Chitrakote falls to Hyderabad would be great. I will be posting my queries regarding the same in the relevant thread too.

Thanks in Advance for your comments and advice.

Keep Traveling
Mgdoodler

[Mgdoodler]

Originally Posted by Mgdoodler

Hello Fellow Travellers,

I request you to please advise if the route while going from Nagpur onwards via Sambalpur as shown by google maps via Mumbai - Kolkata Highway - AH46 is good and safe. As i can see on google maps, post Sambalpur its a mix of 2 lane undivided and 4 lane divided roads with some sections being constructed.

Also please recommend petrol pumps, restaurants or dhabas with clean reat rooms along this stretch from Sambalpur to Kolkata.

Any guidance regarding the route from Chitrakote falls to Hyderabad would be great. I will be posting my queries regarding the same in the relevant thread too.

Thanks in Advance for your comments and advice.

Keep Traveling
Mgdoodler

Bumping the thread in hope of guidance.

I will be staying at Sambalpur for a night - Regenta central or Panthnivas - please let me know which is better.

Also staying a night a Keonjhar - planning to stay the night at panthnivas OTDC. Is this is a good idea.

Will be arriving into Kolkata by late afternoon on a Monday and am staying at EM bypass. any guidance on the type of traffic I can expect.

Similarly I will leave Kolkata on friday morning around 9 am towards Konark any traffic guidance will be welcome.

Konark plan to stay the night at Panthnivas OTDC - any feedback on the hotel will be good.

Plan to drive from Vishakhapatnam to Jagdalpur with a stop at Borra Caves. Will try to reach jagdalpur by early evening. is this a good idea. Also any hotel recommendations at Jagdalpur. Any chances of finding a decent place to stop for biobreak would be good.

Plan is to leave early morning and cover Dantewada, Barsur and stay the night at Chitrakote.

I would like to fit in a safari at Tadoba and I can reach Moharli MTDC from Chitrakote as per google in about 10-11 hrs. What concerns me is the route passes through Gadchiroli and also through some parts of the reserve. I am not sure it is safe.

Safer option is to travel to Hyderabad and then continue on to Mumbai.

TIA.
Mgdoodler

[PetrolRider]

Originally Posted by Mgdoodler

I am planning a road trip from Mumbai to Kolkata in the first week of Dec 2023.
....

Dear Mgdoodler, did you able to make the trip yet?
How was your experience on road beyond Nagpur till Sambalpur, especially Nagpur - Bhilai/Raipur stretch?
Thank you in advace.

[Mgdoodler]

Originally Posted by PetrolRider

Dear Mgdoodler, did you able to make the trip yet?
How was your experience on road beyond Nagpur till Sambalpur, especially Nagpur - Bhilai/Raipur stretch?
Thank you in advace.

Hi
Yes trip has been completed. Trip report is in works.
Nagpur untill you cross into Chattisgarh is very patchy. Expansion work is going on so expect diversions and bad roads. Once you cross into Chattisgarh the roads just change and become better very few diversions. Raipur Bhilai stretch is very good and you can maintain speed limits.
As expected trucks and heavy vehicles keep to the right of the road towards median, keeping left lane open for cars.

Hope this helps
Mgdoodler

[blitzkrieg]

In the first week of December 2023 I drove from Mumbai to Kolkata. Three day drive. First night stop in Nagpur (MH) and second night stop in Sambalpur (OD).

I have uploaded my dashcam footage of the entire route in three videos -

Day 1 - Mumbai to Nagpur -

https://youtu.be/OltaDyg4NYw

Day 2 - Nagpur to Sambalpur -

https://youtu.be/hVozY9gduGg

Day 3 - Sambalpur to Kolkata -

https://youtu.be/CbedHeMuGus

(starting 80km footage on day 3 got deleted by mistake so it's not exactly from Sambalpur).

I would appreciate feedback on these videos to understand if they are of use to others. It's quite an effort to process and export 8 hours of 4K video files!!!

[PetrolRider]

Originally Posted by blitzkrieg

I would appreciate feedback on these videos to understand if they are of use to others. It's quite an effort to process and export 8 hours of 4K video files!!!

What a coincidence, Just watched your videos on YouTube last week and never realized you are a fellow Bhpian.

Suggestions:

• 8 hours of videos is kind of boring to watch, unless you find a fellow bhpian killing time on winter weekend morning with nothing to do. You may consider fast-forwarding some mundane part and keep the length within 30 min.
• You could add some information on your experience with fuel station with fuel cost / pit shops / loo areas / restaurant availability / hotel you stayed. That would add immense value.
• Please add some nice back ground music

By the way, what is you Dash-cam model?

[Samfromindia]

Did Pune - Kolkata & back solo this month. Route taken was Pune -> Aurangabad - > Nagpur - > Raipur - > Sambalpur -> Kolkata in both the occasions. Drove at legal speeds all around.

1: Pune - Kolkata
D1: Started at 0:00AM sharp.
D1: Reached Aurangabad at around 3:30AM
D1: Cross Nagpur at 8:30AM
D2: Reached Kolkata home doorstep by 7:30AM

31.5Hrs total time with no stopovers. Had 3 x 30mins power naps inside by car by parking @ fuel pump whenever I was sleepy.

2: Kolkata Pune
D1: Started at 0:00AM sharp.
D1: Reached Raipur before 6PM.
Found roadside Inn & took rest for 12hrs
D2: Left for Pune by 6:00AM sharp
D2: Reached Pune home by 9:15PM

45.15 Hrs total time with 12 Hr Raipur overnight halt.

Fastag & Toll Info

Pune - Kolkata






Kolkata - Pune (Ex Raipur)






Pointers for future travellers:

• Make sure to enter Samruddhi Mahamarg with full tank / sufficient fuel. Petrol pumps frequency can be over 100km distance on the expressway, and some are having huge Q of trucks.
• Very basic eateries along entire stretch of expressway. Make sure to stock water / snacks in car.
• Over 80% of the route has good roads. Some bad sections in the Deoghar & Keonjhar ghats. Some between Nagpur & Raipur where construction work & diversions are there.

Pics: Pune - > Kolkata

Entering SMG


Driving @SMG @Night - My personal Expressway


Dense fog @morning @SMG


Breakfast Stop


Dinner Stop @Sambalpur


Kolkata Biriyani was on the menu !


Driving stats at end of trip.







Pics: Kolkata - > Pune

Entering Deoghar after a night of driving


Ghat section before entering Sambalpur


Lunch stop somewhere on highway


Place to stay @Raipur


Fair happening opposite to Raipur hotel


Breakfast stop before entering SMG


One special milestone came up in one special road !


Finally having a taste of Maharashtra @ SMG dhaba




Driving stats at end of trip.