[nitinbirari]

Dear HV Kumar,

Pls share your log of this journey with me on nitinbirari@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Nitin

[Wimwian]

Thanks for all the help guys, I made it safely to Kolkata. Had to attend a marriage in Bhilai, so started from there instead of Raipur on the 26th.

All the reports that I got on the road between Sambalpur and Keonjhar were highly negative, so finally decided to take a detour via Cuttack. Road condition was decent between Raipur and Sambalpur with a few bad patches (one of them was particularly bad - thankfully it lasted for 2kms only). Exited NH6 at Sambalpur and took NH42 till Cuttack - the road is narrow but in excellent condition. Its quite scenic too with long winding roads through dense forest. Unfortunately, we didn't get a room at a decent hotel in Cuttack as all of them were booked for the India-Eng ODI that day. Finally we decided to stay over with a friend in Bhubaneshwar.

Next day we took the NH5 from Bhubaneshwar to Balasore, where we switched to NH60 which inturn merged into NH6 at Kharagpur. Roads were in superb condition throughout except for a 60km stretch between Bhadrak and Balasore that took more than 2hrs. GQ work on that stretch is going on and should be completed in the next 8-10 months.

I've taken a few pics and a short video, but right now our new home in Kolkata is in a complete mess. Most importantly, I don't have broadband at home yet. Will put up a detailed travelogue with the pics at a later date. Meanwhile, I'm attaching a log of my trip here.

Cheers
Wim

[Captdey]

So finally it happened, this route looks exciting and better alternative than via
Baharagora. awaiting for more detailed write up and pictures.

Cheers

[triggercool]

Can any1 pls help me with road map and shortest road drive from Kolkata to Mumbai . We are going to drive in gypsy so speed Avg 70-80 Km/hr. Urgent my plan for coming 18th feb.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[hvkumar]

Kolkata to Mumbai on NH6-NH3. Route:
Kolkata-Kharagpur-Keonjhar-Sambalpur-Raipur-Nagpur-Amaravati-Akola-Khamgaon-Jalgaon-Dhulia-Nasik-Bombay

Distance is 2,000 kms. You can do non-stop in 30-35 hours.

Last year I did this route with 1 night break.
Bombay-Sambalpur, 1450 kms, 8 pm-10 pm
Sambalpur-Kolkata, 580 kms, 5 am-230 pm

Check out teh route map (in reverse order);
http://groups.google.com/group/hvkumar/web/s2s.xls

Check out the same route (in Kolkata-Bombay order), but of an earlier trip:
http://groups.google.com/group/hvkum...thEastTrip.xls

[adc]

Originally Posted by triggercool

Can any1 pls help me with road map and shortest road drive from Kolkata to Mumbai . We are going to drive in gypsy so speed Avg 70-80 Km/hr. Urgent my plan for coming 18th feb.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

That 22 km road around Lodhashuli has become the most dangerous of all roads due to the complete control of the tribals [naxalite backed] and every other day there is a bandh and the stray vehicle that strays out there is burned out with passengers chased along the highway.

We went along that route when it was relatively safe and in the night [Rs 20 was escort fee provided by the tribal themselves], it still was amazingly eerie. Daytime travel when returning was quite okay.

But now almost all the trucks are taking the NH60 and NH5 to go to Choudhar and then connect to NH42 to NH6 at Sambalpur. This will add may be around 200+ km[?] of journey but the road is safe, both in night and day. NH42 as a result has also become crowded, both at day and night.

One chance can be taken when they dont have a bandh or such in those areas - Lalgarh and adjoining areas - then may be it still be okay to take the straight road rather than turn at NH60 - but then again still it is a chance thing - that 22 km area is most disturbed now. Remember also that most of the days of the month a bandh is declared around that area, more so as security forces are doing operations.


You have these articles among some for reference.

Truckers fear where PCAPA treads, so prices shoot north

http://www.telegraphindia.com/109121...y_11885102.jsp


Anyway, take a clear decision and wish have a safe and wonderful journey.

[triggercool]

Thanks A lot :-) . I am very new to that area.Pls help if i start by 5:00 in the morning. Will i be able to pass that area you mention?????????.

[adc]

Originally Posted by triggercool

if i start by 5:00 in the morning. Will i be able to pass that area you mention?????????.

Please understand the situation in that 22 km stretch now - it does not matter at time in the day you are there. If you start at 5 am and choose to go straight, then you will be around 830-9 am at that place and that 22 km will take around 20-30 mts for you to cross.

Bandh or no bandh that place is dangerous now. As I said before, you stand a better chance of getting through if there is no bandh in that in that area. And to top of the uncertainty there is no previous info on bandhs called by the tribals - any local situation develops around morning they shut down that place and burn down all the vehicles around who get caught in their lockdown route.

So, all in all, If I were you, I would not go through that route as of now - would go through Choudhar to NH42 and then connect to NH6 or through NH5 to connect go up to NH6 at Jharpokharia [Bombay Chowk].

It is a different thing to not know and go through a bad-land area and nothing happens and you are later in a mood to tell a story. This has happened to all of us who travels distances at some point in time.

But to know and then still proceed and take chances, would be foolhardiness. But again that is my viewpoint.

As said, analyze, collect more info and take a decision.

[bikertillidie]

Has anyone driven via this route recently? I intend to drive from Pune to Kolkata and am starting tomorrow. Any words of advice?

I don't expect road conditions during monsoon to be up to scratch but if there are any routes to avoid, I shall be grateful for that info.

I am planning to cover the distance in 3 days via Nagpur, Sambalpur.

[bikertillidie]

Hi,

Has anyone driven from Pune to Kolkata recently? I am starting from Pune tomorrow and would be most grateful for inputs, if any.

[deepakkher]

i have recently traveled from pune to kolkata following the route pune-ahmednagar-aurangabad-nagpur-raipur-sambahlpur-kolkata.

although the journey was completed in three days, the road from raipur to sambhalpur in particular was not good as also the sections in Jharkhand.

can someone guide me on the route durgapur-varanasi-nagpur and there on to pune?

i am looking for a safe and smooth journey

[deepakkher]

i recently traveled on this route, although from pune, made 2 night halts, one at nagpur and the other at sambhalpur. road from sambhalpur to kolkata is not too good

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Kolkata to Mumbai on NH6-NH3. Route:
Kolkata-Kharagpur-Keonjhar-Sambalpur-Raipur-Nagpur-Amaravati-Akola-Khamgaon-Jalgaon-Dhulia-Nasik-Bombay

Distance is 2,000 kms. You can do non-stop in 30-35 hours.

Last year I did this route with 1 night break.
Bombay-Sambalpur, 1450 kms, 8 pm-10 pm
Sambalpur-Kolkata, 580 kms, 5 am-230 pm

Check out teh route map (in reverse order);
http://groups.google.com/group/hvkumar/web/s2s.xls

Check out the same route (in Kolkata-Bombay order), but of an earlier trip:
http://groups.google.com/group/hvkum...thEastTrip.xls

[deepakkher]

Itravelled again on this route starting from Durgapur on the 7th Oct 11. the route upto Bengal border was good, 350 kms took me 5 hours, the next 350 upto Sambalpur took almost 8 hours, the roads are in poor shape. after a night halt in Krishna Palace(reasonably good place) located on the highway, left at 6 AM and reached Nagpur by about 5 PM. the road up to Raipur is not bad, from Raipur to Nagpur is good. after Nagpur, road to Pune is fine, although there was too much of traffic. conditions of the road may improve now that the monsoons are over.

Planning to go to Goa from Pune, any help on the route?

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by deepakkher

Planning to go to Goa from Pune, any help on the route?

Pls refer to this thread for Pune-Goa details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ur-goa-34.html

[deepakkher]

i have just returned completed a trip to Pune from Kolkata and back. i followed the route along NH6 till Nagpur and the road from Nagpur to Aurangabad to Ahmednagar and Pune. with two night halts at Nagpur and Sambhalpur, the journey is quite comfortable. however, the road conditions from and to Jamsola in Jharkhand are really terrible. hardly any portion of the road can qualify as one, least of all as a NH. i have sent a email to the Chairman NHAI, dont know if anything will come of it.
i need to go to Pune again in December, can anyone suggest how one can avoid the area of Jamsola in Jharkhand??