[Krishnan V G]

Am driving from Hyderabad to Chennai tomorrow via Addanki, Ongole, Nellore, Gummidipundi. Will update the thread after I complete the trip tomorrow.

[Krishnan V G]

Hi, drove from Hyderabad to Chennai via Narketpalli, Addanki, Ongole, Nellore, Tada, Gummidipoondi, Puzhal. Started from Dr A S RAO Nagar in Hyderabad at 6:05 am and reached home in Pallikaranai at about 4.30 pm. Used the Puzhal - Tambaram Chennai outer ring road to reach home. Drive time includes in between stops too for BF, lunch and a cup of tea. Almost 98% of this route is in good condition.

[Ashwinbr]

Originally Posted by Krishnan V G

Hi, drove from Hyderabad to Chennai via Narketpalli, Addanki, Ongole, Nellore, Tada, Gummidipoondi, Puzhal. Started from Dr A S RAO Nagar in Hyderabad at 6:05 am and reached home in Pallikaranai at about 4.30 pm. Used the Puzhal - Tambaram Chennai outer ring road to reach home. Drive time includes in between stops too for BF, lunch and a cup of tea. Almost 98% of this route is in good condition.

That's great news Mr Krishnan. Where do you normally stop for lunch / dinner on your way? I plan to leave at 1pm tomorrow with family. 10.5 hrs including your breaks is really good timing and it also sounds like NHAI have a pretty good job considering the torrential downpour in the recent past. Of course Gummidipundi should have worsened after the rains I assume?

[Krishnan V G]

Hi Ashwin, we had prepared food from home that we ate on the way. We did stop at Amaravati Restaurant that comes just after Gudur on your right. Although the restaurant is nearly and clean, the food served is ok and nothing comparable to what they serve at their other outlets in Chennai. We found potholes largely on the Chennnai Puzhal to Tambaram bye pass road and just a few after Gummidipundi. Drive carefully especially after it becomes dark. You have a lot of diversions on the Ongole to Chennai highway.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by Ashwinbr

That's great news Mr Krishnan. Where do you normally stop for lunch / dinner on your way? I plan to leave at 1pm tomorrow with family. 10.5 hrs including your breaks is really good timing and it also sounds like NHAI have a pretty good job considering the torrential downpour in the recent past. Of course Gummidipundi should have worsened after the rains I assume?

Please refer the following webpage for food joints in Hyd - Chennai sector. Very detailed compilation and amazing to read their other travelogues as well.

http://highwayonlyway.com/page/8/

[bblost]

We started the Hyderabad journey at 4:30 AM from APPA Junction. Usual drive till Narketpally. But just as we reached the turning, got enveloped in very heavy fog. The fog restricted speeds to under 60 and remained till almost Pidugurala.

It persisted in patches beyond that as well.
It was only around Addanki that the visibility was normal.

The rest of the drive was as usual with moderate traffic into Chennai. Took the Byepass and had to navigate thru some treacherous roads inside Porur.

Total journey time was almost 10 hours and 45 mins (Adyar)
Includes a couple of short breaks as the fog left me quite tired.

Had to use the toilet at the Ongole Toll Booth. It was clean with a very heavy smell of disinfectant.

[ramanan.skr]

I will be travelling by bus from Hyderabad to Chennai on 17th Jan. Please let me know any travels operating bus on the day time. I could see all the buses are only night buses.

[FlashMustang]

Dear ramanan.skr, I haven't seen buses being operated in the day time. All operators seem to operate buses that start by evening to reach by morning on this route.

[virgovencat]

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

I will be travelling by bus from Hyderabad to Chennai on 17th Jan. Please let me know any travels operating bus on the day time. I could see all the buses are only night buses.

Ramanan - There are no day time buses running between Chennai & HYD. You can take a early morning Bus to Vijayawada and from there catch JANASHATBDI train to Chennai which starts @ 3pm , Reaches Chennai @ 10pm
there are many trains bewteen VIJ-CHennai

[Sujair]

Did the Hyderabad - Chennai last week . Started from Ameerpet at 2.00 pm , picked up the Mrs at Gachibowli and took the ORR . Roads were very good till Pidugurala , barring are few small stretches . Got stuck in heavy traffic in Pidugurala which took us about 20 mins to escape . Pidugurala to Ongole was again a mess with a lot of stretches under going repair works . Reached Ongole at 8.15 pm and stayed for the night at Sri Kanya Lodge . Started at 7 am next morning and reached chennai by 12pm (Again got stuck in heavy traffic in chennai outskirts) .

[gajadonga]

Traveled Hyderabad- Chennai and return last weekend.

Hyderabad - Nalgonda (Via ORR)
Excellent throughout .

Nalgonda-Miryalguda
The number of village crossings in single lane has reduced observed a small flyover also completed.Miryalguda Bypass is in same bad condition never know when the flyover will be completed.

Miryalguda-Pidugurala
Good throughout except for one or two diversions.
Still have to pass through Pidugurala town no bypass as yet.

Pidugurala-Medarmetla cross roads
Good roads .Addanki town no bypass still.
The flyover at Medarmetla cross roads is complete on one side from Chennai to Guntur stretch.Overshot this place while coming back.Had to take a U turn after about 3-4 kms.

Medarmetla cross roads- Nellore.
60% seems to be complete six laning. Lots of diversions with speed breakers are still a soar point.Took 1.30mins both up and down in this stretch.

Nellore-Tada
Good throughout.

Tada-Redhills
Six laning work is still continuing.Driving in the night was better( around 11pm) and faster as on return was travelling around 8pm there are many signals and diversions to cross and takes about half an hour more in running time.

Hope this helps

[venuvedam]

Did the Hyderabad - Nellore stretch today. Started from Gopanpally at 9am and got onto ORR at 9:30am (Financial District Entry point).

ORR to Vijayawada Highway Exit - Mostly very good. However, ORR is now showings signs of age and poor maintenance. There are no potholes but quite a few stretches of uneven surfaces.

Vijayawada Highway to Narketpally - Pretty good. Stopped at Village Agraharam for breakfast - about a couple of kilometers before Choutuppal. Decent place to eat but restrooms are not very good. I would still rate Hotel Vivera on the other side of the highway near Narketpally better in all aspects.

Narketpally to Miriyalaguda - Very good roads - except for a couple of short stretches near Timmarthi and Nalgonda. Miriyalaguda flyover work is now progressing at a brisk pace. Hopefully we will see its completion in about a year!

Miriyalaguda to Piduguralla - Again, it is a divided highway throughout except for a few stretches (Damancharla, Dachepalli etc). However, I was pleasantly surprised by the newly opened bypass road for Brahmanapalli. It saved at least 5 minutes of driving time.

The main time sink - Piduguralla - is still as bad as it has always been. But, the very fact that Brahmanapalli got a bypass, keeps my hopes alive that one day Piduguralla would also get a bypass of its own - saving at least 15 minutes of driving time for us.

Piduguralla - Addanki/Medarametla - Excellent road mostly. The Satyamangalam X Roads junction and its "Back-Breaking-Axle-Breaking-Sadism-Inducing" set of speed breakers are of course the worst part of the entire journey from Hyderabad to Nellore.

From Medarametla it was a breeze till Nellore. The number of diversions have come down considerably though it is not zero yet.

Stopped for a quick bite at Ongole Toll Plaza hotel. Very decent restrooms but not much of food options. Thali was good though.

Reached Nellore at 5:15pm.

Survived a galloping buffalo that appeared right in front of my vehicle from the median all of a sudden. Braked hard and swerved left and managed to stop the car. Thankfully there were no other cars in the vicinity. ABS did save the day for us.

[vivekkr_99]

Dear all,

Any idea about the Nagercoil - Nellore road conditions? Should we expect traffic near Chennai or its outskirts? Planning for a long day drive from trivandrum, and the destination is Nellore. So, just wanted to make sure that roads are good and whether we should expect any traffic around major cities. Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Vivek

[Maverick79]

Originally Posted by vivekkr_99

Dear all,

Any idea about the Nagercoil - Nellore road conditions? Should we expect traffic near Chennai or its outskirts? Planning for a long day drive from trivandrum, and the destination is Nellore. So, just wanted to make sure that roads are good and whether we should expect any traffic around major cities. Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Vivek

If you take the By Pass before Tambaram, you can avoid the Chennai traffic completely.
Except a few deviations from the under construction Fly overs, most of the tarmac is really good for cruising.
Have a safe ride.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by vivekkr_99

Dear all,

Any idea about the Nagercoil - Nellore road conditions? Should we expect traffic near Chennai or its outskirts? Planning for a long day drive from trivandrum, and the destination is Nellore. So, just wanted to make sure that roads are good and whether we should expect any traffic around major cities. Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Vivek

In the below post, you can check the chennai bypass route that I took during my Hyderabad - Nagercoil drive,

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3608091