[rav11stars]

Originally Posted by deepv

Considering the miserable condition of drive on Hyderabad-Solapur stretch via NH9, I was just wondering whether any one tried using Hyderabad-Gulbarga-Solapur route.

I did a Pune-Hyd trip 4 months back and considered this route via Gulbarga. But HVK sir advised against it and asked me to stick to NH9. Although it's not butter smooth, it's not bad either.
I started at 6am and reached HYD gachibowli exit by 5pm with some sedate driving and a 1.5hr stop. In the MH part of the highway look out for those odd pothole. They're deep and can cause damage. This can also cause the vehicle in front of us to take sudden swerve to avoid these.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by rav11stars

...
But HVK sir advised against it and asked me to stick to NH9. ...

Since my post, I had been checking around and had broken down the route further as follows:
(Hyd -> Pargi -> Sedam -> Gulbarga <--> Akkalkot -> Solapur) -> Pune

As I understand Akkalkot -> Solapur is toll road and is maintained pretty well, so what was left was to lookout for appropriate options between Gul <--> Akkalkot.
Overall it would add around 30kms w.r.t. NH9 route.

But if HVK sir had advised against it then should probably not risk it, will try to buzz him on that again.

[rav11stars]

Originally Posted by deepv

so what was left was to lookout for appropriate options between Gul <--> Akkalkot.
Overall it would add around 30kms w.r.t. NH9 route.

But if HVK sir had advised against it then should probably not risk it, will try to buzz him on that again.

yeh, the patch between Akkalot <--> Gulbarga is a SUV terrain. Almost one year back I traveled home and a friend in his XUV took the route via Akkalkot -> Gulbarga as he was going to Tirupati. It was a nightmare was what he said.

We tried gathering details from local sources but couldn't and what I've heard was that the state of that road was like that from a long time.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by rav11stars

yeh, the patch between Akkalot <--> Gulbarga is a SUV terrain...

In a nutshell then, stick to NH9
Hopefully the perennial repair work would have added to some improvements!!

[joshuakeys]

well, i'm planning a trip from Pune-Hyd-Pune between 30th Jul and 2nd Aug, Will keep you posted about the current status of the road conditions.

Mean while, anybody has done this trip recently in 2015. If yes then pointers will be appreciated.

Cheers
Josh

[deepv]

Originally Posted by joshuakeys

...
Mean while, anybody has done this trip recently in 2015. If yes then pointers will be appreciated.
...

I did the trip forth and back on 24th and 27th respectively.

The road conditions aren't great between Hyderabad and Solapur & from the looks of it the road widening will probably continue for considerable future.
I had earlier checked out here and with other sources and it was still suggested to keep to NH9. Check #392 above for reference.

Solapur to Pune is breeze though.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by deepv

The road conditions aren't great between Hyderabad and Solapur & from the looks of it the road widening will probably continue for considerable future.

Can you elaborate on what parts are 'not great' and how many of such parts are there? I guess most of the bad patches start from Zaheerabad till Naldurg.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

... I guess most of the bad patches start from Zaheerabad till Naldurg.

Yeah .. the bad patches are all the way there even towards Hyderabad (I think till the part we have the section of tolled road).
There are interspersed sections which are decent, but large number of diversions all the way in KA and MH.

The pits become a bit worse while on MH side, so you have to be on continuous lookout lest you may damage your vehicle/tyres.
In fact, I came across a seeming innocuous brush like object on one of diversions (I think in KA),
but when reached nearby realized it was the bunch of 1 to 2 inches nails on it, managed to avoid it by only a few inches.

[Krishnan V G]

Originally Posted by joshuakeys

well, i'm planning a trip from Pune-Hyd-Pune between 30th Jul and 2nd Aug, Will keep you posted about the current status of the road conditions.

Mean while, anybody has done this trip recently in 2015. If yes then pointers will be appreciated.

Cheers
Josh

We drove from Hyderabad to Pune in the second week of July 2015 by the following route - Zaheerabad, Naldurg, Sholapur to Pune all the way by NH9. The road until Sholapur is okay to drive with many places in not so good shape esp near Naldurg with lots of potholes, and many diversions too. However the highway from Sholapur to Pune is superb.

[joshuakeys]

Just did Pune to Hyderabad on 31st, and returned today morning 05.08.2015.
Pune to sholapur is in superb condition, except couple of diversions. From sholapur the roads are single track, that's the only issue, I did not feel its as worst as mentioned by others,
You can manage 80-90kmph on an average.
Pune to hyd did it in 8hrs with 45 mins to 1hr break. I stay in Amanora so sholapur road is 2ks away from my place and I need not struggle in city traffic.

Hyd to pune did it in 9.5hrs due to city traffic (started during peak hours).

Vehicle - safari.

Cheers
Josh

[ranjitp1]

Anyone doing Patancheru-Hadapsar via NH9,budget for 9-10hrs.5-6hrs for the Patancheru-Solapur stretch of just 300kms (which is an utter shameful testimony to NHAI considering the fact that this road has been in shambles since eternity) and Pune Chowk to Hadapsar is a good 3-3.5hrs.Howmuch ever hard anyone tries,till the HYD-Solapur 4 laning is done and dusted,this is going to be the benchmark:(

[joshuakeys]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Anyone doing Patancheru-Hadapsar via NH9,budget for 9-10hrs.5-6hrs for the Patancheru-Solapur stretch of just 300kms (which is an utter shameful testimony to NHAI considering the fact that this road has been in shambles since eternity) and Pune Chowk to Hadapsar is a good 3-3.5hrs.Howmuch ever hard anyone tries,till the HYD-Solapur 4 laning is done and dusted,this is going to be the benchmark:(

I wonder if these stretches will ever be done, 4 Lane work has stared long time back and u see signs "men at work" but you hardly see men working.

If at all the 4 Lane is done, pune-hyderabad can be done in 6hrs max.

Cheers
Josh

[ambivalent_98]

I used to travel on this road from Pune to Hyd in 2011. At that time 4 laning in between Pune and Solapur was in progress and it was completely chaotic. When you leave Pune beyond the first toll plaza upto 20 or so kms a 4 lane was done. Beyond that point to Solapur bypass was all confused roads. The nightmares were in Tembhurni and the bridge across the Bhima River near the Ujani dam which one had to take the lower weaker bridge. In the sugarcane season this was nightmarish since long lines of trollies carrying sugarcane hogging one lane were found crawling.
Beyond Solapur the traffic thinned out quite a bit. The traumatic spots being the one going through Umerga and then Naladurga. Once across the border into Karnataka the roads were made only once in that whole year. initially it was smooth upto the border crossing before the Mahindra Factory in Zaheerabad. But later the Karnataka government abandoned these roads and they broke badly. No idea if they were fixed but going by the state of roads in Karnataka in general they were probably repaired only a couple of times in last 3-4 years.
This thread did take me back in time 4 years ago.I have done most of these back and forth trips solo so it would be all the more fun.

[21Archer84]

Guys, Can someone who's driven on NH9 update on the road condition of Hyd-Solapur stretch, as this thread has had no activity for close to 1.5months now. I've been catching train/bus to Hyd/Pune respectively so not sure if there's been any activity off late. Please enlighten.

[hyd_traveller]

A post on another thread answers your question :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3808710