[Altrozed]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Thanks, I rarely touch triple digit speeds so this seems like a good option. So follow gmaps from Khammam - jengareddygudem - Gopalpuram and join the main highway just before Rajahmundry at Devarapalli? Planning to leave next Sunday very early, any recommendations for lunch stops?

Can you please elaborate on the road cum rail bridge at Kovvur? Is RJY Rajahmundry? If so, any possibility of bypassing the city?

Yes, you can follow Google maps unless there are changes happened in last 1 month or so.
Just exit before Suryapet (well marked exit) which marks the beginning of Suryapet Khammam express way. This is toll road and it's very good. Just at the end of toll road beginning of Khammam there is a pure veg restaurant which serves good breakfast and lunch. From here, you can take khammam bypass road and drive towards Wyra Jangareddygudem Devarapalli road. This road will ultimately hit the Chennai Howrah NH16.

You don't just join before Rajamundry but before Kovvur you hit the NH16. If you continue on this NH16, you take the 4th Bridge of Godavari and pay toll.

If you want to avoid toll, take rail cum road bridge, you have exit NH16 and go towards Kovvur, then the rail cum road bridge entering the heart of Rajamundry RJY. If you enter, devi chowk is full of food options and you can exit via Kambalacheruvu - Jail Road and again join NH16.

If you miss food at Rajamundry, next option is Annavaram which has decent parlors range.

I hope I have answered your queries.
P.S. If I say food is decent, then for rest of the world, it should be minimum 8/10 rating

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by Altrozed

Yes, you can follow Google maps unless there are changes happened in last 1 month or so.

Took this route last Sunday and am writing this to thank you. I had already taken the Khammam bypass in the past so I knew how fabulous that stretch is. The rest on this occasion was good too and I am glad I could avoid the morons speeding on the Hyd Vijaywada stretch. There was some truck traffic though until the point where part of the road branched off to the right with the signboard reading 100 kms to Vijaywada. I carried on straight and was rewarded with light traffic all the way to the outskirts of Kovvur where I went off NH16 again to take the road cum rail bridge over Godavari and entered Rajahmundry town. As Altrozed had predicted, traffic inside Rjy was light and I drove down a wide boulevard with vendors selling fruits and sugarcane juice to reconnect to the main highway.

Recommend this stretch to those driving to Vizag and Kolkata over the main Vijaywada highway. You can save some toll also.

[sachinkgogia]

Hi - checking if anyone did Hyd Vizag after the recent rains?. I am planning a drive in two weeks (Sept 28-29) to Vizag and will have a toddler in the car, so wanted to be sure of the road conditions. Thanks in advance.

[sud153]

Google maps is showing the best route as Via Vijayawada. Would it be better to go via khammam instead?. Highway driving is still new to me, so safety will be top priority, followed by comfort and time as 3rd priority

[Saft1]

Traveled from Hyderabad to Vizag on 6th October via Vijayawada route. This still remains a good route due to 4-6 lane highway throughout. As per usual Vijayawada never disappoints to disappoint with random diversions that take google for a spin, every time we took this route. This time was no different.

Google recommended to take the NH bypass, which seems to be completed, but the access ramps were closed with huge concrete blocks. Saw many cars approaching the road and turning back disappointed. Checking with locals, it seems they randomly(?) block off the access. Had to drive through the city to get to NH16, which was harrowing as usual due to chaotic traffic. As always, crossing Vijayawada adds 30-40 min travel time, but overall travel time is still the same as the Khammam route, I’d say.

My advice, if driving through this route, would be to take NH 65 into the city and switch to NH16 when it intersects at Krishna Lanka park, to be safe from unexpected diversions. Can’t wait for NH bypass to open up at Vijayawada! Overall travel time was 12 hours including a 1 hour lunch break at Habitat and bio breaks.

On another note, there are decent food options too, as you exit Vijayawada. Brew buzz is pretty nice for a quick coffee break. Garuda food court just before Bhimadole and Habitat (their veg thali is pretty good) after Rajahmundry are other good stops. Not much after these till Vizag.

[sriturl]

I am driving to Visakhapatnam from Hyderabad tomorrow. My first time on this route. Following expert advise from fellow travellers on this route and being first time, sticking to VJA route instead of Khammam route.
Heard that VJA bypass is fully open in the last few days ?
Any pointers would help. Thanks in advance.

[nsnerlekar]

Originally Posted by sriturl

I am driving to Visakhapatnam from Hyderabad tomorrow. My first time on this route. Following expert advise from fellow travellers on this route and being first time, sticking to VJA route instead of Khammam route.
Heard that VJA bypass is fully open in the last few days ?
Any pointers would help. Thanks in advance.

Hi, is the vijayawada west bypass open? Or is it better to enter the city?

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by nsnerlekar

Hi, is the vijayawada west bypass open? Or is it better to enter the city?

Yes, I drove last Thursday.
Please note that it is not fully functional, approach from Gollapudi side was not fully paved, and you will share one side with oncoming traffic for more than 50%, but overall smooth travel with caution to bypass city particularly for Hyd-Vizag side commute. It will end just after airport.

[samuelkoyya]

Originally Posted by samuelkoyya

Hi All, Can someone shed some light on current status of Vijayawada outer ring road which connects Gollapudi to pottipadu toll (skipping Vijayawada and Gannavaram)?

Hi All, I just have travelled this route last week (HYD-RJY) and I can confirm that Vijayawada bypass is now open (at least for cars) and it is saving considerable amount of time. There are 3 or 4 flyovers still under construction but vehicles are diverted to slip roads and connect back to highway after the flyover. Please drive cautiously as I have seen many local vehicles like tractors using the road in wrong direction as well, which caught me by surprise.

[samuelkoyya]

Update as of 04-Jan-2025: Vijayawada west bypass is closed on the last stretch (when travelling in direction of Rajamundry to Hyderabad). I have travelled the same route on 26-Dec and the road is open all the way but found last section of it closed on my return journey. I have taken a detour (shown in attached pic) which also includes a railway crossing and connect at Gollapudi junction.

[ampere]

Not sure if interested participants on this thread are following this, but there is a good 4-lane coming from Khammam to Devarapalli. Should up live soon. That should help cut down travel time.

This should give a 4-lane access all the way from Hyderad to Vizag.

• Current NH65/365B 4-lane till Khammam via Suryapet
• New 4-lane (NH365B) from Khammam to Devarapalli bypass (meets NH16 GQ)
• NH16 from Devarapalli to Vizag