[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by manas_270

Thanks for this info. Just in time as I may end up staying in case I start late from here during this weekend travel.
How's the route now for the Vijayawada to Vizag stretch?

I returned from Vizag to Hyderabad a couple of weeks ago. We followed Google maps and took the Dowleswaram barrage route. It was badly broken and we had to zig-zag a lot on an undivided highway. The stretch of 30 kms took nearly 50 minutes.

We joined the NH near Tadepalligudem, and from there it was a lot smoother till Eluru. However, we had to stop for 15 minutes at Hanuman Jn and another 10 minutes at another junction before it owing to traffic signals. It is high time they built a fly over there.

There was quite a bit of two-wheeler traffic from Hanuman Jn till BZA.

[manas_270]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I returned from Vizag to Hyderabad a couple of weeks ago. We followed Google maps and took the Dowleswaram barrage route. It was badly broken and we had to zig-zag a lot on an undivided highway. The stretch of 30 kms took nearly 50 minutes.

Thank you Vnabhi for the inputs. Yeah, I heard the same feedback for the Dowleshwaram route and so maybe will stick to NH16 though it a tad longer route. i.e.,45 km vs 72km. Google shows a difference of about 13 min between the 2 and that says about the road condition I guess.

[9tMax]

Originally Posted by manas_270

How's the route now for the Vijayawada to Vizag stretch?

Overall there is a degradation in the road condition all through out AP, compared to what it was even a year back, except for the Hyd-Vijaywada stretch. Though it is not very bad but irritating. Almost everywhere there are eroded patches of the top layer on the right lane along the trucks movement path and then there are occassional surprise potholes. So you can not peacefully zip through even the empty stretches of road. And that's irritating.

For crossing Rajamundry we stuck to the NH 16 both ways, as we were passing through that stretch during the day and I wanted to avoid the city traffic of Rajamundry.

[manas_270]

Did the stretch today. Started at 4.30am from Gachibowli and as usual, the Hyd- Vijayawada stretch was a breeze. The Vijayawada bypass though is surely a alloy twister, tyre bender with some of the pothole sizes and if one is not careful.
Vijayawada - Eluru was good, Eluru - Tanuku - Ravulapalem - Rajhmundry was bad with top surface eroded in lots of places and so can't cruise comfortably without swaying to avoid them. However this route though longer is better than the route Google shows (dowleshwaram route). Rajhmundry - Annavaram was ok & Annavaram- Vizag was good with fresh laid tarmac in some places.

Lot of road work going on in the Rajhmundry - Vizag stretch.

[JoseVijay]

I have to go on a surprise and an unplanned trip to Anakapalli tomorrow. Starting early in the morning. I will post latest updates on the road condition once I am back.

[satish_appasani]

I live in Hyderabad but I am from Rajahmundry. Don't take the road via Dowleswaram, Nidadavole, Tadapalli gudem or vice versa. The road between Nidadavole and Tadepalligudem is in very bad state. Locals still use this route because it is shorter. Continuing on NH16 is better.

[DigitalDragon]

Originally Posted by satish_appasani

I live in Hyderabad but I am from Rajahmundry. Don't take the road via Dowleswaram, Nidadavole, Tadapalli gudem or vice versa. The road between Nidadavole and Tadepalligudem is in very bad state. Locals still use this route because it is shorter. Continuing on NH16 is better.

How about the bypass route after Eluru? Eluru-Nallajerla-Yernagudem-Godavari 4th Bridge-and then joining NH16?

[JoseVijay]

Here is the latest update till Anakapalli and back to Hyderabad.

Onward Journey:

Started from Lingampalli at 5:30 a.m. and reached Suryapet by 8:15. Had a 45 minute break for Breakfast. Started again at 9:00 and reached the outskirts of Vijayawada by 11:00. I took the Inner Ring Road (followed Gmaps) and crossed the city in exactly 30 minutes. This Inner Ring Road is the worst route in terms of road condition all through my journey. Too many potholes/craters and rough patches, but still crossed the city in 30 minutes. Then followed some bumper to bumper traffic till Hanuman Junction. Lots of construction (Expansion to 6 lanes) going on till Ravulapalem which we reached by 1:30. Some diversions here and there for maintaining the roads. The best part is that few stretches of the road is freshly tarred. We then had lunch break from 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. We stuck onto NH16 and thankfully we made a right and the best decision. Crossed Rajahmundry at 2.45 through the By pass. Reached Anakapalli by 5:30. The actual destination is to a remote village in the agency area which we reached by 7:00 p.m. What made my journey more memorable was the fact that the remotest villages in naxal infested areas had best roads.

Return Journey: (Night drive)

Started at 7:30 p.m. and reached Anakapalli by 8.30. From there on we took NH 16 and sprinted our way towards Hyderabad. Roads were good all through out. Diversions and Construction works going on even at night. Reached Vijayawada at 3.20 and crossed it in just under 10 minutes (Advantages of night drive). Looks like Kanchikacharla and Nandigama (Towns before you enter Vijayawada) will be getting their respective By passes very soon. Currently, commuters have to go through these small towns while going towards Vijayawada. But this will change in few months and the By pass is getting readied. So, there are at least 2 to 3 diversions while coming towards Hyderabad. We reached Suryapet at 5:00 a.m. and stopped for a quick Tea break. From then on, it was a straight run till home (Lingampalli) which we reached by 7:30 a.m.

Toll Up to Anakapalli: 770 Rupees (One way)

[satish_appasani]

Originally Posted by DigitalDragon

How about the bypass route after Eluru? Eluru-Nallajerla-Yernagudem-Godavari 4th Bridge-and then joining NH16?

Avoid that road. Most of the heavy vehicle traffic between Vijayawada and Vizag use that route. It's two lane road, dusty and filled with pot holes.

[strawhat]

Originally Posted by JoseVijay

Looks like Kanchikacharla and Nandigama (Towns before you enter Vijayawada) will be getting their respective By passes very soon. Currently, commuters have to go through these small towns while going towards Vijayawada.

Aren't these bypasses already functional one way (Vijayawada-Hyderabad direction)?

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by strawhat

Aren't these bypasses already functional one way (Vijayawada-Hyderabad direction)?

Yes. They are. Now, construction has begun for Hyderabad - Vijayawada direction as well.

[KingCheeese]

Update:

I've been on the Hyderabad-vizag-vizianagaram road twice in 2020.
Once in Jan 2020 and the second time in June 2020.

As already known the road from Hyderabad to vijayawada is a breeze. There's bad traffic while entering Vijaywada and while exiting it because of all the roadworks being done, all the way till hanuman junction and beyond.

JAN 2020.
We drove with our family(4 members) and on this trip the drive was beautiful apart from the small congestions around vijayawada, it was all smooth. Nice fun maintaining high speeds from hyd to vij. From Eluru till Rajahmundry however 100kmph is what the roads let me maintain safely. Again after cross Rajahmundry back to maintaining high speeds safely without stressing.

JUNE 2020.
This trip was just very unfortunate and bad.
This time it was only my wife and I so we didn't stop too much for breaks etc. Hyd to Vij was butter smooth, the roads were good and it was very promising.
Being covid times, we got out of vijayawada also in record time and vijayawada was deserted so it was beginning to be very promising.
Sadly from Eluru to Rajahmundry, the run flat tire on my 530d bursted and we had to limp the last 250 odd kms with a donut tire restricting my speed to a max of 75kmps to be on the safer side.
The reason was bad potholes on that stretch.

Luckily in the 2 weeks I stayed in Vizianagaram I got rid of my runflats and put on good old regular tubeless tires.
But those 2 weeks it had rained quite a lot.

On the drive back I could safely maintain triple digit speeds till Rajahmundry.
But this time the roads from Rajahmundry to Eluru were wrecked! I couldn't believe that it was a NH that I had driven on just 2 weeks back.
My avg dropped to 60kmph. The roads were so miserable, there were potholes the size of a fully inflated basketball. That accompanied by many other small to medium-sized ones and the usual blemishes on the road.
I got to tell you, it drained me to drive on that road. I was so tired after the journey because of all the extra careful driving I had to do to avoid the potholes.

Once we safely reached Vijaywada the stretch back to Hyderabad was a breeze again. Could comfortably maintain high speeds.

My suggestion for other would be to definitely check the condition of the roads especially now that there has been a lot of rainfall.

Hope this helps, drive safe guys.
Cheers!

[meetarin]

Hi members! Quick question and a reply would be very appreciated
I’m leaving for Vizag from Hyderabad tomorrow
morning. Shall I take the Hyd-Vijayawada-Rajahmundry route or the Hyd-Suryapet-Khammam route? For reference, I’ll be riding the distance.

[KingCheeese]

Originally Posted by meetarin

Hi members! Quick question and a reply would be very appreciated
I’m leaving for Vizag from Hyderabad tomorrow
morning. Shall I take the Hyd-Vijayawada-Rajahmundry route or the Hyd-Suryapet-Khammam route? For reference, I’ll be riding the distance.

Hello Meetarin,

Definitely recommend the hyd-vij- Rajahmundry route over the other, especially if you're riding.

Cheers, ride safe!

[SKC-auto]

Originally Posted by meetarin

Hi members! Quick question and a reply would be very appreciated
I’m leaving for Vizag from Hyderabad tomorrow
morning. Shall I take the Hyd-Vijayawada-Rajahmundry route or the Hyd-Suryapet-Khammam route? For reference, I’ll be riding the distance.

I do not know about the Khammam road conditions, but the road condition from Vijayawada - Rajahmundry was horrible. Somebody in this forum said they are basket ball sized pot holes, it's actually 2 basket ball sized pot holes. If you are riding be extra careful, I just drove by this road yesterday, the road from Rajahmundry to Vizag is good, except for 3-4 road diversions(totalling less than a kilometer).