Team-BHP - Monsoons - Road Condition Update

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 2110570)

Sailor, I think the Shivpuri route is best even though it is longer. However, you do not have to go to Etawah, you can take the EW corridor from Pukharayan/Bhognipur crossing 25 kms from Kanpur on NH2 (towards Etawah). Road till Jhansi is not great but after that it is one of the fastest roads in India.

My friend did the Allahabad-Rewa route before the rains, reported it to be terrible.

Thanks!
With early start (05:00 / 05:30 from Lko) is Bhopal doable before Sunset on this route? Else we can stop at Shivpuri / Guna. Nagpur is a confirmed halt due stay with my relatives and also that will assure early arrival at Hyderabad.

Rgds

hi all,

A friend and me are planning to drive from down to Gwalior from Chennai.

Mode: Hyundai Accent
Route: (by Google Maps) - Chennai-Nellore(NH5), Nellore-Ongole(NH5), Ongole-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Nagpur(NH7), Nagpur-Gopalganj(NH7), Gopalganj-Gwalior approx 1850km
Starting on Saturday morning we plan to be in Gwalior on Sunday night.

Can someone please advise on the route / road conditions etc..

peace,
~kg

Chennai-Ongole is superb.
Ongole-Hyderabad via Adanki, Narasaropet is terrible, avoid.
Alternative route is via VIjayawada, which is very congested and is being widened.
Hyderabad-Nagpur has some bad roads in the AP-MH border, but otherwise good.
From Nagpur, the optimal route to Gwalior is via Bhopal, which has bad sections in many places too. The shorter route via Sagar is being widened and in a mess. I don't know what is this Gopalganj route you are referring to.

Very difficult to reach Gwalior in 2 days unless you are a superfast drive, leave very early (by 4-5 am) and minimise stops en route.

Ongole-Hyderabad

The road to Hyderabad from Ongole (NH5) via Narasaropet and Miryalguda is in very bad condition (both via Adanki as well as Chilakaluripet). Potholes, slushy shoulders, narrow roads, heavy bus traffic and signages only in Telugu. Roads improve only after Pidugurualla.

@hvkumar - thanks for the super quick response..
as per your suggestions Google maps now says the total route is about 1991km, pretty sure 2 days will not be enough for that even with 2drivers!!

will keep updating about the trip and the route that we take

peace,
~kg

Travelled from kolkata to durg yesterday, NH5 is as same are reported by other members not much change, NH42 from cuttack to sambalpur is very good, traffic is till angul and after road surface is smooth as silk.
NH6 is worst from bargarh(orissa) till Aarang (Chattisgarh).

Quote:

Originally Posted by shabahmad (Post 2114711)

As per updates provided from KALINGA NH42 Cuttak to Sambalpur is in good condition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shabahmad (Post 2128209)

For those travelling from Sambalpur to Calcutta, do you think it makes better sense to go via Cuttack instead of Keonjhar?

Recently travelled from Delhi to Sharanpur n then to Dehradun n back to Delhi.

Road condition wise Delhi to Sharanpur was decent enough till Deoband. A 25km patch after Deoband to Sharanpur is by far the worst that I have ever encountered. Best way to describe this would be a random collection of big potholes in a sea of small potholes:Frustrati

While coming back from Dehradun the road quality was a mixed bag. Some patches of great roads while some being pathetic but a point of caution. Many places the traffic seems to head in both direcitons on both sides of the road!!!! I am yet to figure a sensible reasoning for this.

Another persoonal record - took 12hrs from Dehradun to Delhi (280km), started at 2pm Sunday and reached 2am Monday.
Mode - Baleno
Reason - excessive traffic due to Bhaidooj and the indomitable Indian spirit of getting ahead (on the road or lack of it) by any means possible

peace,
~kg

kg, between the heavy/chaotic traffic and the bad roads, I don't know which one is worse on this Delhi-Dehra dun sector!

Yes, indeed, that is a new slow-speed record! Do you think you could have made better timings at a different time of the day? How do you think it will be to drive through this sector in the night?

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 2135573)

Totally agree with you on the chaotic traffic and bad roads. I have travelled on this route many a times but this was the 1st time I faced such bad roads AND chaotic traffic. Traffic was chaotic always but I guess the bad roads really made a difference.

My cousin left Dehradun the same day @ 8am and reached Noida @ 4pm, this was mainly due to some alterante route that he took before entering NCR. So I guess if I'd have left a bit early I might not have made a new slow-record but would not have managed to shave mor than an hr or so.
With the hope that all the roads will have a divider the drive should be safe but till then I'd say its a bit dangerous to drive at night (courtesy tractor trawlers and stranded trucks).

peace,
~kg

peace,
~kg

I came back yesterday, after a trip to Kollur (mookambika temple).

The Roads were very bad in Nileswaram junction, Kanhagad junction, route in between kanhagad to Kasaragod, Kumbla, Netravati Bridge, Kuntapura.

Kanhangad and Kasaragod -most of the national highway has got big big potholes (my car bottom was scratching at few places - I dont know what could be the damage:Frustrati ).

Kumbla to Udupi, the roads are good. But at kumbla junction it is too bad (but some temporary surfacing work is going on).

Before and after the Netravati bridge is in very bad condition with heavy traffic congestion on the bridge. It took almost one hour to cross the bridge while we going to Kollur, but little easy when returning.

Again from Kuntapure turning (towards Hubli NH) the part of the roads are full of Potholes.

We left at 845am on saturday and reached kollur at 5pm with about 1 hour break for tea and lunch.(total distance one way 246kms - we took inner road from Kanhagad to Kasragod so saving of about 8/10 kms).

Just take care if some one planning to drive in these route..