[raghu.t.k]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Bhuvan,There is another route,which would add up kilometers but is an excellent and fast route.The route would be Hyd-Anantpur-Kadiri-Horsley Hills-Madanapalle-Palamner-Vellore-Join the BLR-CHENNAI NH4-Chennai.Would be around 750kms but should be a fast drive thanks to 4laned roads for most parts.

Took this route yesterday, and the road from Hyderabad upto Anathpur was fantastic. Anathpur onwards it was bad. Given that it was late evening when it had its own woes. The route beyond Anathapur, is scary do drive for multiple reasons, 1. the road conditions, 2. unmarked speedbrakers where one is least expected 3. the attitude of fellow motorist and 4.the dazzling headlights by everyone, with bad lights or no lights in between.

I saw an wide bodied Auto having a single headlamp at a height where bikes have it, then a van was using additional lamps, with only 1 switched on at a level where Autos have them, and finally an APSRTC with just 1 lamp in the middle. Thankfully the outline of the bus was visible and reminded me of a single eyed demon !! The rest of them either had overpowered or had a cluster in addition to the regular ones. To add to it there was 1 stretch where moths seemed more like a cotton cloud. But I would have probably .

Would need to check how it is to drive to bangalore and then take krishnagiri.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by raghu.t.k

Took this route yesterday, and the road from Hyderabad upto Anathpur was fantastic. Anathpur onwards it was bad. Given that it was late evening when it had its own woes. The route beyond Anathapur, is scary do drive for multiple reasons, 1. the road conditions, 2. unmarked speedbrakers where one is least expected 3. the attitude of fellow motorist and 4.the dazzling headlights by everyone, with bad lights or no lights in between.

I saw an wide bodied Auto having a single headlamp at a height where bikes have it, then a van was using additional lamps, with only 1 switched on at a level where Autos have them, and finally an APSRTC with just 1 lamp in the middle. Thankfully the outline of the bus was visible and reminded me of a single eyed demon !! The rest of them either had overpowered or had a cluster in addition to the regular ones. To add to it there was 1 stretch where moths seemed more like a cotton cloud. But I would have probably .

Would need to check how it is to drive to bangalore and then take krishnagiri.

You mean Chennai-Krishnagiri-Hosur-Hyd?Thats going to be a very very long route.Why bother with all that.HYD-Vijayawada is getting better with each day and is easily driveable now a days.Chennai-VJA can be done in 6hours(thanks to road works between Guntur and VJA) and VJA-HYD(LB Nagar) another 5-6 hours.Overall you should be in Hyd in 10-12 hours and around 580kms.This is if you do not want to take the Chilkaluripet-Narasaraopet-Macherla-Sagar-Ibrahimpatnam-LB Nagar route.This route is also driveable now and should take you 10hours from Red Hills to LB Nagar.

[raghu.t.k]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

You mean Chennai-Krishnagiri-Hosur-Hyd?Thats going to be a very very long route.Why bother with all that.HYD-Vijayawada is getting better with each day and is easily driveable now a days.Chennai-VJA can be done in 6hours(thanks to road works between Guntur and VJA) and VJA-HYD(LB Nagar) another 5-6 hours.Overall you should be in Hyd in 10-12 hours and around 580kms.This is if you do not want to take the Chilkaluripet-Narasaraopet-Macherla-Sagar-Ibrahimpatnam-LB Nagar route.This route is also driveable now and should take you 10hours from Red Hills to LB Nagar.

I had one bad experience hitting the Vijaywada highway. I agree that the other is an overkill, but I would anyday prefer cruising at 110-120(with due diligence) and reaching early if possible. What un-nerved me was even the lorries were dazzling their headlights, and loaded trailer lorries cornering you on a road that is barely wide for 2.5 vehicles.

[srikanthpotluri]

I had driven via Ananthapur recently and I found the road to be good all the way to Hyderabad from Chennai.

Chennai to Ananthapur stretch is most enjoyed during early hours/day time. However its an extra 110 kms.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by srikanthpotluri

I had driven via Ananthapur recently and I found the road to be good all the way to Hyderabad from Chennai.

Chennai to Ananthapur stretch is most enjoyed during early hours/day time. However its an extra 110 kms.

Thanks Srikanth.What were your approximate drive times for each section

[bblost]

I did a drive yesterday from Hyderabad to Ginjee.

Route:
Hyderabad - Kurnool: Awesome road. Toll charges are high.
Kurnool - Kadapa: Lots of diversions. Four laning in progress. I will not recommend this route to anyone.
Kadapa - Chittor: 2 lane. Good quality black top. Traffic but within acceptable limits.
Chittor - Vellore: Finding the road is a pain. Road is ok. 2 lane only.
Vellore - Ginjee: via Arani and Chetpet. OK 2 lane. Heavy traffic. Aran market place is a big problem area.

Ginjee - Chennai: via Tindivanam: Upto Tindivanam is a 2 lane. Then you connect to NH45.

[srikanthpotluri]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Thanks Srikanth.What were your approximate drive times for each section

Well, I had driven the same route both ways 3 times in the last couple of months, it has been always a total of 14 hours from West Marredpally to Tambaram with 4-5 breaks easily.

Hyderabad to Ananthapur - 4 lane road - 5.5-6 hrs (depending on breaks in this stretch, can have breakfast just before Kurnool at BP Ghar)

Ananthapur - Chittor - 2 lane good scenic road - 4.5 hrs (with a break here at CCD), need to watch out couple of speed breakers before Madanapalle.

Chittor - Ranipet - 2 lane road - 1 hr ( here you touch the 4 lane road to Chennai)

Ranipet - Chennai - 4 lane road - 2.5 hrs (this can get reduced, depending on the time one enters the city limits and the traffic, thanks to Sriperumbudur stretch).

Hope this helps!!!

[gajadonga]

I have driven through Hyderabad-Devanahalli- Mulbagal-Chittor-Ranipet-Chennai the route is good. Running time is the same.
If the Vijayawada highway is complete probably the journey will become better and faster

[bblost]

My return trip.

Adyar, Chennai: 7:30 AM.
The first 35 odd kms were covered in an hour.
It was almost 8:30 by the time I reached Erukencheri.

NH 5 is not what it used to be. Heavy sub-urban traffic for the first 100 odd kms.

About 40 - 50 kms ahead of Ongole stopped at a HP Apna Ghar.
Only plate meals available at Rs 55 a person. The food was quite good. The distance was about 289 from my start point.

From there till Vijayawada the road surface was good. But lots of diversions. No straight roads meant speed was highly curtailed.

Crossed Vijayawada and got to the Hyderabad road. The road surface was decent. Lesser diversions but a lot wrong side traffic.

Stopped about 45 kms before Suryapet and had some snacks.

There is a Cafe coffee day around here as well.
There is a restuarant called 7 beside it. It was closed due to some electrical fire earlier in the day.

We had our Chole Batura in a restaurant that had opened on the same day. So the service was very good.

From here onwards the road surface is not good. The traffic is very heavy. A lot of dust in the air mixed with smoke. Very poor visibility and mad traffic.

Found the ORR entry about 40 kms before LB Nagar. Then flew home.

Reached home at about 9:30 with a total of 760 odd kms on the odo.

Hyd-Vijayawada road reminds me of the Hyd-Bangalore road some 3 years back.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by bblost

Found the ORR entry about 40 kms before LB Nagar. Then flew home.

The ORR Jn after Ramoji Film City is a mere 13 kms from LB Nagar Junction, and 36 kms from Raj Bhavan Road.

But it does make sense to take the longer route via ORR to Hyd even if you're staying in Central Hyderabad just to beat the lousy traffic from LB Nagar Jn to Panjagutta.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

The ORR Jn after Ramoji Film City is a mere 13 kms from LB Nagar Junction, and 36 kms from Raj Bhavan Road.

But it does make sense to take the longer route via ORR to Hyd even if you're staying in Central Hyderabad just to beat the lousy traffic from LB Nagar Jn to Panjagutta.

Sorry about the mistake. Thanks a lot for correcting it.

I live just 1 km off the ORR. So the saving in time is very good.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by bblost

Stopped about 45 kms before Suryapet and had some snacks.There is a restuarant called 7 beside it. It was closed due to some electrical fire earlier in the day.

You mentioned you encountered restuarant "7" 45kms before Suryapet when coming back to Hyderabad? Whereas, it is after crossing Suryapet, AFAIK

[bblost]

Originally Posted by mobike008

You mentioned you encountered restuarant "7" 45kms before Suryapet when coming back to Hyderabad? Whereas, it is after crossing Suryapet, AFAIK

Damn it.
I am formatting my phone and upgrading my gps maps software.

[Fordmanchau]

Originally Posted by mobike008

You mentioned you encountered restuarant "7" 45kms before Suryapet when coming back to Hyderabad? Whereas, it is after crossing Suryapet, AFAIK

Do you remember my Annavaram travelogue, where I posted a pic of a very clean "with a view" bathroom?
That was of "7" food court on the VJD highway.
Comes before Suryapet on the left side of the highway.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by Fordmanchau

That was of "7" food court on the VJD highway.
Comes before Suryapet on the left side of the highway.

Fordmanchau, you are saying "Comes before Suryapet on the left side of the highway" and you are 100% wrong. Actually, "7" comes after Suryapet and on the right side of the highway.

Now let me explain why the mistake :
You are discussing when travelling from Hyderabad to Vijayawada while Imran was narrating his trip experience while travelling from Vijayawada to Hyderabad.

All this your left or my left reminds me of Sunil Shetty in that movie "One, Two, Three".