[TankandButter]

Originally Posted by chandras1

Instead of heading to Mulbagal after exiting the expressway, Google maps is suggesting to take Bangalavuru - Bathalapalli - Bangalamedu - Gudiyattam - Pallikonda

Is this advisable during daytime? Any ideas on the road conditions?

I read in the "The Bangalore-Chennai Expressway" thread that there is a small ghat section with a steep downhill.

I suggest you avoid the expressway for this trip since you are travelling with a pet and a child, and just stick to the usual Chittoor route.

Also, the last time (13.04.25) I used the NH40 (Chittor-Ranipet), there was major construction work, and some concrete blocks barely squeezed in cars to pass. Instead, you should take the Katpadi route or the option BHPian Ampere gave in the previous messages.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by chandras1

Instead of heading to Mulbagal after exiting the expressway, Google maps is suggesting to take Bangalavuru - Bathalapalli - Bangalamedu - Gudiyattam - Pallikonda

Is this advisable during daytime? Any ideas on the road conditions?

I travelled via expressway, Sundarapalya exit, V.Kota, Bathalapalli ghat, Gudiyattam, NH on 12th April.
During day time this is easily doable.
Only issue is lack of decent food break options until you hit Pallikonda.

[ravib]

Drove back from Madras to Bangalore yesterday 2nd May via Chittoor route.

Started at 6 am and reached Bangalore at 1 pm including 1.5 hours break. Thanks to no traffic in entire route.

Few important updates.

1) Don't take Bommasamudram route no matter what. You may see vehicles and cars squeezing in between the stone barricades , but don't get tempeted to follow them. Either take Ranipet-Ponnai-Chittoor route or Chennasamudram-Vellore-Katpadi-Chittoor route towards Bangalore or vice versa towards Madras. Alternatively experiment Gudiyattam-V.Kota-Sundarapalya- NE7 new expressway, depending on who are travelling in the car and your car condition.

2) Only in day time, take Ponnai route or Expressway. Strictly avoid both these routes if you end up being in these roads after dark.


3) Apart from bad roads, primary reason to avoid Bommasamudram gate is, near to Zion hill church in AP-TN border, the space is too narrow for a car to get in and many can easily damage their car doors with scratches unless you are really an expert driver and want to take risk. I took this route, because my last drive in March towards Bangalore was not difficult as there were separate roads near to the gate and not much squeezing in issues. This time it was not the case and still saw many cars trying out especially yellow boards.
We can't even take underpass bumpy road below Bommasamudram railway station, because to reach that also we need to squeeze in the cars between stone barricades. Best is to avoid it.

4) Other notable changes are the bridge above Chittoor campus of CMC Vellore is open now without lane marking, and there are no two way traffic in single lane.

5) Both the expressways (Chittoor Thatchoor and BCE NE7) overbridges near Guidpala are almost over, with minor diversions.

6) NE7 expressway crossing near Mogli is just picking up the pace, so in next few months we can see diversions just before the ghat road towards Palamaner.

In all practical purposes, i don't think even in 2025 new NE7 will be fully ready. Our wait will be longer is my gut feel. Let's see and hope i end up being wrong

-Ravi

[Bsimhan]

I took the route a bit earlier than Ravi between Chennai and Bangalore. Yes, the barricades are placed in a couple of places and it's really close. My innova just cleared it with a few inches to spare. The good thing was that the opposite side car waited and guided us to safely negotiate the barricade. I don't think that I'll use this route again till the bridge work is done. I am thinking that the other route via Gudiyatam, Venkatagiri Kota Via NH75 might work.

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by ravib

Drove back from Madras to Bangalore yesterday 2nd May via Chittoor route.

Very valid pointers and the route via CMC or Ponnai makes sense rather than via Bommasamudram. Especially at night it gets too tricky. Even with SUVs we might end up with a broken part.

Regarding the expressway, I too hope that they finish it as early as possible so that I can go for a breakfast drive to Madras and head back home for lunch. :P

[Yieldway17]

Recent update from 'Our Chittoor' twitter page.

[arvind71181]

Hi All - Have a trip to Bangalore planned tomorrow from Chennai. Looking at the latest updates, I am assuming going via Katpadi is still the right option than using the Bommasamudram railway crossing right? Has anyone travelled recently on this route? My vehicle is an S-Cross, if that input is helpful. Thank you!

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by arvind71181

I am assuming going via Katpadi is still the right option

Yes. The 2-lane road from Vellore to Old Madras Road is now resurfaced as well.

[anandhsub]

Drove back from Chennai via Katpadi yesterday night and I think for the the first time since atleast 2021, all the work seems to have finished in the stretch between the Katpadi turn and the Tirupathi turn on NH40/69.

No need to go on the other side of the road which was the case even the last time I drove in April.

Took exactly 3 hours from taking the turn into Katpadi from NH48 to Tin Factory. Quickest of my recent night drives.

Another matter that the stretch from Poonamallee to Katpadi was the slowest of my recent drives. Took 2hr40 mins for <120kms at 10 PM in the night. Relatively high traffic made crossing all diversions a pain even tough though I didnt get stuck anywhere.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Took 2hr40 mins for <120kms at 10 PM in the night. Relatively high traffic made crossing all diversions a pain even tough though I didnt get stuck anywhere.

It is summer holidays and there will be a fair bit of private car, (government and private) bus traffic at that hour. This will continue till about midnight. By late June, this traffic will ramp down.

I merged to Sunguvarchatram around 650-7 pm ish and made it to Alankar by 810-815 pm.

Also the westbound progress towards Vellore is obviously poorer than the eastbound progress towards Madras.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Also the westbound progress towards Vellore is obviously poorer than the eastbound progress towards Madras.

Not just the deviations between Sriperumbudur and Chennasamudram. The ones post Chennasamudram until Vellore are equally if not more painful.

The newly constructed flyover just post the toll was also closed and traffic diverted into the fairly narrow service road. I am not fully certain, but I think i remember this flyover being open in April. Not sure why they have closed it now.