[ampere]

Originally Posted by ssbiitm

1. Tambaram - Vandalur - Oragadam - SIPCOT - Sunguvurchattram - Kanchipuram - Murugan Idli (exactly 100 kms from start). The SIPCOT to Sunguvurchattram is in bad shape and eminently avoidable.

Surprised to see this. Can you point on Google maps which route exactly you took?

[ssbiitm]

Here is the route:



Cheers,
Subbu

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ssbiitm

Here is the route:

This is what I guessed. You should have taken the 4-lane to the end.

Route Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Ji7gS95LzmyZW9B7

[ssbiitm]

Originally Posted by ampere

This is what I guessed. You should have taken the 4-lane to the end.

Route Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Ji7gS95LzmyZW9B7

Thank you for that suggestion. I suppose I have to go under the Chennai - Kanchipuram highway, enter Sunguvurchattram, take a left and get on to the highway by taking a right. Will do that the next time.

Subbu

[Slavia2021]

Hi,
I am planning to drive from Yelahanka to Chennai (Destination: Dr Nair road, T Nagar) on Jan 5th 2025. I will leave before 5 AM and take ORR-KR Puram - Hoskote - Kolar road. From Chittoor Bypass, planning to take Nagari - Tiruttani - Tiruvallur (NH 205). Is it a good idea? Please suggest.

[Capri89]

Originally Posted by ssbiitm

Thank you for that suggestion. I suppose I have to go under the Chennai - Kanchipuram highway, enter Sunguvurchattram.....

Subbu

Or you can turn right before the underpass, drive for about half km and turn left to merge with the highway.

[careind]

Originally Posted by ssbiitm

Here is the route:

Attachment 2705147

Cheers,
Subbu

That is an interesting route.
How are the roads between Vallam and Sunguvar Chattiram ?

[ssbiitm]

Originally Posted by careind

That is an interesting route.
How are the roads between Vallam and Sunguvar Chattiram ?

The initial part through SIPCOT is fine. But the later stretches has large potholes - of course this is the route that Google took. There could be other better options.

Cheers,
Subbu

[srvm]

Originally Posted by Slavia2021

Hi,
I am planning to drive from Yelahanka to Chennai (Destination: Dr Nair road, T Nagar) on Jan 5th 2025. I will leave before 5 AM and take ORR-KR Puram - Hoskote - Kolar road. From Chittoor Bypass, planning to take Nagari - Tiruttani - Tiruvallur (NH 205). Is it a good idea? Please suggest.

After Chittoor (via town, no bypass), go via Ponnai - Sholinghur - RK Pet - Tiruttani. Good roads. Roads inside Sholinghur and RK Pet are narrow. But these are very small towns, so it won't add too much time to your journey.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by ssbiitm

Thank you for that suggestion. I suppose I have to go under the Chennai - Kanchipuram highway, enter Sunguvurchattram, take a left and get on to the highway by taking a right. Will do that the next time.

Subbu

Originally Posted by Capri89

Or you can turn right before the underpass, drive for about half km and turn left to merge with the highway.

@ssbiitm - you can do as suggested by Capri89. Only watch out for very poor stretch of about 200-300 meters (red line shown below). Manageable in any car, if handled with patience. Just takes 2-3 minutes of careful dodging of craters.

[SAPVEN]

Hi Friends,

Am planning to drive down tomorrow to Chennai for a quick trip .Planning to start after breakfast, by around 8.00 AM.
Want to take the Chittoor (bye-pass) route, since I am starting from North Bangalore.

I wanted to know the condition of the road , for the short stretch after the Chittoor bye-pass, where the main road was blocked, and a narrow village deviation was in place.

Is the main road done up yet? Or is the deviation still in place (Heard some horror stories abt the deviation, since it was extremely narrow, and prone to jams when vehicles come from the opposite).

Thanks !

[Secretariat]

Did Bangalore-Chennai-Bangalore twice in the last two weeks.

The Bommasamudram railway crossing was open to traffic both ways all four times. The blocks on the road at various points have been shifted around to let even trucks ply through. About 100 metres, at the crossing of the railway track, is in terrible condition, but I didn't have to tackle the village road. In any case its awfulness is similar to the monstrous potholes for about a km after the turnoff to Katpadi if we were to take that route as a way of avoiding the railway crossing. Not sure if the "opening" of the railway crossing is because of the holidays, but I crossed it smoothly all four times. There is a long way to go however before the bridge over the railway track is done - not likely in the near future.

In the Chennai - Bangalore direction, you are supposed to take the overbridge at the Chittoor bypass, but on the opposite side of the carraigeway. But right at that point there is a sign directing you to go on the overbridge if you are proceeding into Chittoor and take the side road if you want to continue to Bangarupalayam. I went down the side road adjacent to the bridge as per the direction, only to find myself with no way to proceed but into Chittoor town !! The policeman directed me to go back all the way and take the overbridge. There were a number of vehicles who made the same mistake as I. So when coming from the Chennai side go up the overbridge - there is no other way to continue on the highway. In the Bangalore-Chennai direction, there is no bridge (and no confusion !)

I have been reading justified comments on both threads on the terrible experience of driving Bangalore-Chennai. But it isn't as bad as what we have been facing for the last 3 years. The Chennasamudram-Sriperumpudur section is definitely much better than the low point of 2022. There are still 14 diversions, including the infamous Saint Gobain diversions (the company's brand name is forever ruined !!). But except for two diversions, the side roads have survived the monsoon rains pretty well. Yes, there are potholes, but I didn't find any craters . So no need to explore sideroutes through Walajabad - straightforward to Sriperumpudur and then the usual choices to go to South Chennai.

What has deteriorated are the 9 diversions between Bangalore and Ranipet which has meant that there is almost no stress free section to drive on. The road through Ranipet has also developed a number of potholes (none huge) making the stretch a rattler. This has ensured that the pain level of the drive has remained the same from yester years.

Side note to EV drivers - Unless you own a luxury EV, one charging stop is inevitable if you aren't hypermiling. I am finding a two stop strategy better than the one stop one. The mid point options for a one stop are really Nandi Plaza at Bangarupalayam and Electrik Mobility at Tirupati bypass. Electrik Mobility is fine for charging, but there is no nice food joint nearby. Nandi Plaza would have been perfect but the Neugo buses are commandeering two of the four chargers and there is always a wait time for the other two (EVs are surely increasing in numbers). So two quick stops (just for topup while a refreshment is being had), at one third and two third distances is my current preference.

[iamnarayang]

Originally Posted by srvm

After Chittoor (via town, no bypass), go via Ponnai - Sholinghur - RK Pet - Tiruttani. Good roads. Roads inside Sholinghur and RK Pet are narrow. But these are very small towns, so it won't add too much time to your journey.

I am driving to Chennai on 5th January. I am consiering the chitoor route instead of the fully dug up Krishnagiri route. I remember in 2016, Iwas advised in this goup to take the Chitoor, pallipattu, Nagari, tirutani route rate than Ponnai, Sholinghur route. I took that route as advised and it was good, without much traffic. It was small roads but no traffic. I don't know if that is a good roue currently. Do you have any opinion on this please.

Regards,
Narayan.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by iamnarayang

I am driving to Chennai on 5th January. I am consiering the chitoor route instead of the fully dug up Krishnagiri route. I remember in 2016, Iwas advised in this goup to take the Chitoor, pallipattu, Nagari, tirutani route rate than Ponnai, Sholinghur route. I took that route as advised and it was good, without much traffic. It was small roads but no traffic. I don't know if that is a good roue currently. Do you have any opinion on this please.

I have not taken the route you mention completely. But I have done Bangalore-Chittoor-GD Nellore-Pallipattu-Puttur in 2022. Roads were good to ok. Don't know its present status.

The route I have mentioned via Ponnai - Sholinghur - Tiruttani is good (my recent experience is from 2024). TN state highways are usually good. BHPians who have travelled via this route recently can add their comments.

In both cases, going inside Chittoor town will take 20-25 minutes, unless doing between 10pm to 5am (I have done that too!).

[ravib]

I travelled from Madras to Bangalore via Thiruvallur-Thiruttani-RK Pet-Sholingur-Ponnai-Chittoor-Bangalore on Jan 1st 2025. Many Thanks to @SRVM for his guidance always.

My main idea was to avoid regular Sriperumbudur-Kanchipuram-Chennasamudram road, for 3 main reasons
(1) So many BHPians reported atrocious road conditions in this stretch damaging tyres and vehicles
(2) Volume of traffic expected on a holiday
(3) Explore newer option to see how it works in terms of time and road conditions.

My last trip post Deepavali, i tried and explored Ranipet-Ponnai-Chittoor route, to avoid Bommasamudram railway crossing work , so am familiar about road conditions via Ponnai Route which was good. What i wanted to explore this time is about the timing,

From a distance KMs perspective , Thiruvallur-Thiruttani-Sholingur-Ponnai route is negligible as it is just less than 10 kms more.
However, the driving time wise, it is definitely 30 minutes to 1 hour more due to narrow roads, and we have to get in and out of these towns. To top up, i travelled on Jan 1st and there were multiple villages which were celebrating new year in village temples and churches, particularly in Tiruttani, Sholingur, and Karimalai Murugan temple areas. Only savior was being a holiday on Jan 1st, passing through Chittoor town was pretty quick as there was no traffic.

Started at sharp 12 noon from Pallavaram on Jan 1st and it took solid 45 minutes to reach ThirumazhaiIsai junction to take right towards Thiruvallur.
And then due to scattered traffic all the way and huge traffic pile up in Thiruvallur town, mainly at PS4 restaurants due to proper lunch time, and a slow drive , reduced average KMPH coverage and overall it took me about 4:15 minutes to get out of Chittoor town, which is about 45 minutes more than Kanchipuram-Ranipet route normally from Pallavaram.


May be i can assume, it would have been same time on Jan 1st in Kanchipuram route , given bad roads and more traffic, just to make myself feel better

Downside of this route is post Thiruvallur, till Chittoor/Bangarupalayam Nandi Food plaza, there are no good food/rest room stop overs. So have to plan accordingly.

Post Mahasamudram Toll Plaza, continued to drive till Krishna grand after Nangli Toll and took a break for 30 mts and then continued the journey and reached Bangalore around 8 pm. So overall it was almost 8 hours including a 30 minutes break !

In current state, due to bad roads and diversions
Bangalore-Krishnagiri-Chennasamudram-Madras is 80% pain,
Bangalore-Chittoor-Ranipet-Chennasamudram-Madras is 40% pain.

The alternate with good roads but narrow and slow is via Chittoor-Ponnai-Sholingur-Tiruttani-Thiruvallur route or via Chittoor-Pallipat-Nagari-Tiruttani-Thiruvallur route.


In net effect, we have to choose which one to take till BCE comes up or atleast the Chennasamudram to Sriperumbudur is patched up !

Recommendation:
If you are okay to risk the vehicle wheel alignment and balancing and driving in day time, continue to take Chennasamudram-Kanchipuram-Sriperumbudur route.
If you have a low GC sedan, ready to spend another 30 mts to 45 minutes and not in urge to drive at high speeds, go with Chittoor-Ponnai route.
Avoid night drives/post dark travels either way between Chittoor to Madras stretch in both directions !

Here is the google maps link i took between Thirumazhaisai to Mahasamudram Toll. Thanks to srvm again!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/2JHosfCncsRTKnrZA


-Ravi