[Zezé]

Originally Posted by dpkbehera

I am planning to drive down from Hyderabad to Pune in a couple of weeks time. Your update of the road condition between Sholapur to Dhaktiwadi is definitely not enthusing. Hope that some of these patches are repaired just in time for Diwali !!!

Originally Posted by varunraizada

Don't let that stop you .. if you're Aware what you're in for, you'll be much more careful than what I was .. the rest of the road is just too good to miss !

Hoping that the bad patches are repaired in time for Diwali is overly optimistic. If you had instead hope for the repairs to be completed this year or this financial year would be somewhat realistic.

But I agree with varunraizada that you should not let this stretch of the road stop you from going ahead with the trip. As you are aware of the problem, you can factor the additional time required when planning. After all the rest of the road is superb.

In fact, the prospect of a driving on good tarmac makes me inclined to drive the next time I visit Mumbai. But given the availability of local transport in Mumbai and the crazy traffic, doesn't make a convincing argument.

[Majumdarda]

I have some plans to do a Pune-Kolkata-Pune trip in mid of January 2018. The suggestions from fellow members have been to take the route as Pune - Hyderabad - Visakhapatnam - Kolkata (for onward journey) and return likewise. With regards for the Pune to Hyderabad section, below is what I understand the best available approach :-

Pune - Solapur (via NH 65) - Dhaktiwadi (via Naldurg, Omerga) - Hyderabad.

As I still have some time in hand, can someone please advise if the road condition will hold till Jan-Feb as well. In other words, can I use this route during my up and down journey (3 adults 1 kid)? Anybody aware of any forthcoming major engineering works on this stretch, that might be a cause of concern and pain.

[Majumdarda]

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

As I still have some time in hand, can someone please advise if the road condition will hold till Jan-Feb as well. In other words, can I use this route during my up and down journey (3 adults 1 kid)? Anybody aware of any forthcoming major engineering works on this stretch, that might be a cause of concern and pain.

Let me rephrase my question.

What is the condition of the Nehru Outer Ring Road?

While going from Daktiwadi to Rajahmundry, my intention is to travel outside of Hyderabad. Google suggests the ORR. Question is which one to use considering availability of hotels and good roads.

In the bottom half of the below picture, the section near CMR Institute of Technology, seems to be having broken tarmac with road work in progress.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

What is the condition of the Nehru Outer Ring Road?

A1. The whole ORR is just amazing.

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

While going from Daktiwadi to Rajahmundry, my intention is to travel outside of Hyderabad. Google suggests the ORR. Question is which one to use considering availability of hotels and good roads.

"Daktiwadi"? I had to google it out. Had you said Solapur or Humnabad or even Muthangj, the names would have been familiar. Muthangi village is just before Patancheru from where ORR starts.

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

In the bottom half of the below picture, the section near CMR Institute of Technology, seems to be having broken tarmac with road work in progress.

You can use the ORR clockwise or anti-clockwise. Bombay Highway & Vijayawada Highway are exact 180°. Travel time will vary between 1 hour and 90 minutes.
There is no broken tarmac but ORR flyover bridge above Nagpur Highway is not complete so there is a slight diversion to cross the highway near CMR but that is also in good condition.
Anti-clockwise should be faster in my opinion.
There are no hotels, no restaurants, no toilets, and no parking or halting on ORR.
Be very very very careful on ORR and alert for rash drivers who might zigzag between lanes. Cars should be driven in lane 2 from right (3rd lane from left) and between 80 and 100kmph. Police with speed guns are common between Financial District exit and Shamshabad exit. ORR is addictive for anyone who "lives to drive" but dangerous due to other rash, reckless and untrained drivers so be careful. Lastly, it is a tolled road, take ticket on entry and pay on exit depending on usage.

Hope this helps. Any other query?

[Majumdarda]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Be very very very careful on ORR and alert for rash drivers who might zigzag between lanes. Cars should be driven in lane 2 from right (3rd lane from left) and between 80 and 100kmph. Police with speed guns are common between Financial District exit and Shamshabad exit. ORR is addictive for anyone who "lives to drive" but dangerous due to other rash, reckless and untrained drivers so be careful. Lastly, it is a tolled road, take ticket on entry and pay on exit depending on usage.

Hope this helps. Any other query?

Thank you very much for your explanation sir. Valid points have been noted down with due diligence. I will again come back to you should there be a need for some more information for this stretch.

[dpkbehera]

Any last minute updates on this route. I am leaving later this week. So far Pune - Solapur (via NH 65) - Dhaktiwadi (via Naldurg, Omerga) - Hyderabad looks like the recommended one.

[Majumdarda]

Originally Posted by dpkbehera

I am planning to drive down from Hyderabad to Pune in a couple of weeks time. Your update of the road condition between Sholapur to Dhaktiwadi is definitely not enthusing. Hope that some of these patches are repaired just in time for Diwali !!!

Hope you are driving from Hyderabad to Pune via the NH65. Please update us on the road condition. Specially interested to know if the road has been improved or its worse after the rains.

Also if possible can you please advise for availability of accommodations at Muthangi [17.542219, 78.228049] or Batasingaram [17.305291, 78.729701] ; I am interested to know if there are safe accommodations available on the NH where I can stay with my family after parking my car safely, so that next day morning, I can skip the city traffic.

[dpkbehera]

Did Nallagandla Hyderabad to Pune in 8 hours 30 mins. It included 30 mins of break. Omerga to Naldurg is bad but manageable. Too many diversions. Truck traffic seems to be high. Fast Tag is enabled on almost all tolls except the one on the outskirts of Pune.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

Hope you are driving from Hyderabad to Pune via the NH65. Please update us on the road condition. Specially interested to know if the road has been improved or its worse after the rains.

Also if possible can you please advise for availability of accommodations at Muthangi [17.542219, 78.228049] or Batasingaram [17.305291, 78.729701] ; I am interested to know if there are safe accommodations available on the NH where I can stay with my family after parking my car safely, so that next day morning, I can skip the city traffic.

Forget Muthangi and Batasingaram or the outskirts of Patancheru or Hayatnagar.
What time are you estimated to reach Muthangi?
What time do you intend to start next morning?
Will advise accordingly.

[aniketbapat]

Reached Hyderabad from kharghar in Navi Mumbai just 30 mins back so this road update is up to date 😁
Started at 415pm 19th Oct and reached nallagandla Hyderabad at 1245am 20th Oct , total 8 hrs 30 mins including a 30 mins dinner break in Solapur
Solapur to Hyderabad via zaheerabad route took 3 hrs 15 mins for 280+ km
The road on Maharashtra side about 100km is in really bad shape , it's a nightmare specially driving in the night with the diversions but that's the only bad part once you reach Karnataka border all the way till Hyderabad the road is one of the best in India , you can easily make up time post Karnataka . Both the toll naka's are operational now .
Don't bother about the kalburagi route .
Maharashtra definately needs to get it's act together the road infrastructure is pretty bad , sad that I have to goto other states for good roads and enjoying the drive

[VKS]

Originally Posted by aniketbapat

once you reach Karnataka border all the way till Hyderabad the road is one of the best in India , you can easily make up time post Karnataka . Both the toll naka's are operational now .

Thx for the update, Do you mean the L&T stretch is all operational now with tolls and no diversions ?

Also looks like Sholapur to Omerga is in much better shape now, It was taking 2+ hours just for this stretch before. Think this section will remain a pain for a couple of years.

[aniketbapat]

Yes beyond mh-bgr border the highway is fully operational including any bypass , if I remember correctly there are only 2 diversions albeit pretty small .
I told the toll guys can you somehow export this road to Mumbai please and thanked them for the super road the booth along with wishing happy Diwali and we had a good laugh about it , for the first time felt the toll cost was well deserved . It's 80 +80 rs if I remember correctly .
The roads are so smooth bet you can see your reflection during daytime
If only we could get the 100km stretch in Maharashtra done as well as have a bypass for Pune city post mum-pune expressway connecting to Solapur road (I think there is a plan for ORR like road for Pune but not sure on when) then I think we can probably do mum-hyd in 7 hrs
Other than that I think the 2 wheeler traffic is the only challenge.
This was the first time I drove beyond my self imposed 10pm deadline and I was regretting it for the first 100 km after Solapur but later I was just smiling like the joker end-end , and my Liva was flying and I was on a high due to the shock of butter smooth roads which I was least expecting , after going to office and starting at 415 pm I was initially planning maybe I will stay in Pune at my cousin's place and then to Hyderabad tomorrow but I reached Pune too early so thought maybe I can spend the night in the lodge at Solapur but there too I reached before time so I took a chance to ride in the night and am really happy I did it was meditation on wheels

[21Archer84]

Originally Posted by aniketbapat

Solapur to Hyderabad via zaheerabad route took 3 hrs 15 mins for 280+ km
The road on Maharashtra side about 100km is in really bad shape , it's a nightmare specially driving in the night with the diversions

Thanks for the update on the road condition.It's an impressive time that you covered the distance in for a Mum-Hyd trip.

I'm just curious how bad the road after Solapur is until KA border and how long it took , as you seem to have managed to recover the lost time in KA-TG stretch pretty well.

I remember covering the Solapur-hyd myself in similar time , but 5yrs ago when it was a 2-lane yet butter smooth road.

[aniketbapat]

I started from Solapur around 920-30 , I think the mh stretch must have taken about 1hr30-35 mins , the advantage I had was there was less/no truck traffic due to Diwali maybe and also it was State transport strike yesterday so even less traffic , I got absolutely no traffic till the end it was like I was the only one on the road at times diving on that lovely highway in a child in the candy store mindset after I reached Karnataka border and beyond

Regarding the Mh side of road from Solapur , at the start it's got a lot of speed breakers then at 4-5 diversions I felt the road was non existent and deep craters , then there were patches where road was smooth and broad but one sided and then some patches where road was one lane and average . I think in daytime it's probably more easier to tackle the road but then there also will be more traffic , this was my first night drive and I did scrape my car 2 times which means I definately was driving like a newbie in hurry to reach home but then it's a Toyota Liva and has taken a much tougher bashing during my solo ride to ladakh this June so was confident

Btw 5 years ago am sure the roads were pretty bad the whole stretch between Solapur and HYD was bad maybe with the exception of stretch in Karnataka , I had taken my wagonr about 3-4 year back as well as Liva about 2 years back and the road was pretty bad , are you saying the Solapur road was butter smooth ??

[21Archer84]

Originally Posted by aniketbapat

Btw 5 years ago am sure the roads were pretty bad the whole stretch between Solapur and HYD was bad maybe with the exception of stretch in Karnataka , I had taken my wagonr about 3-4 year back as well as Liva about 2 years back and the road was pretty bad , are you saying the Solapur road was butter smooth ??

This was in August of 2012. It may not have been as smooth as a newly laid asphalt, but it was smooth enough to cruise comfortably at high speeds. The Pune-Solapur highway was under construction though. If I remember correctly, the solapur-KA border stretch was in just okay state, especially near Omerga, as a year later when I drove on this stretch it was already in shambles, which took quite a toll on my journey time.

Its been a year since I left Pune for good, the highway construction was one of the reasons as it looked like a never ending problem, first was the Pune-Solapur stretch and now the rest of the distance.