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-   -   Bangalore - Shimoga : Route Queries (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/42482-bangalore-shimoga-route-queries-32.html)

This is the route I usually take and I took Chitradurga route today and while the good sections are better, the bad sections are worse. So the total travel time would be the same. However the deal breaker from me is that there is a very narrow bridge to cross - I had a nightmarish experience squeezing past a bus coming in the opposite direction. I would totally avoid Chitradurga route in future, it's hard to believe that it's a national highway - the Google maps lady kept reminding me that it's a National Highway.

On Sunday, I drove to Shikaripura and back and here is the route status report.

For my onward, although I had a direct route to reach Shikaripura via Harihara-Honnalli, the fact that another friend was driving from Hassan and that we meet at Shivamogga for breakfast meant I had to consider taking either the Hiriyur or the Chitradurga route.

While the intention was to take Hiriyur-Hosadurga-Ajjampura route knowing that it is better off when compared to any other route, while I was closing in for the turn off post Hiriyur for Hosadurga, Googlemaps showed similar ETA for the Chitradurga Channagiri route as well. I had never taken this route in the recent past but that fact that this route adds another 40 km of 4 lane and yet shows similar ETA meant it was worth trying it out.

Bangalore - Chitradurga - Holalkere - Channagiri - Holehonnur - Shivamogga - Shikaripura:

• Roads soon after you take left for Holalkere after Chitradurga are in bad shape with deep potholes and broken sections
• The roads get fantastically better soon after you are out of Chitradurga Municipal limits and hit the NH corridor on the outskirts
• The roads remain excellent and fast all the way till Holehonnur except when you are driving in town/village limits of Holalkere, Channagiri, Holehonnur. The sections of roads when you are crossing these towns are rough but still easily manageable
• Roads post Holehonnur all the way till you hit the municipal limits of Shivamogga town remain in bad shape and this is for 13 Km
  Shivamogga town to Shikaripura is excellent all the way

Shikaripura - Honnalli - Harihara - Davanagere - Bangalore:

• Shikaripura to Honnalli remains in good conditions with no bad sections
• Honnalli to Harihara intersecting Bangalore-Pune highway too remains good but with occasional patches where road surface is rough but absolutely nothing that one needs to worry about
• Davanagere to Chitradurga now has one diversion less due to opening up of one more flyover on the GQ corridor

Since my friend had come from Hassan, here is what he had to report about the status of BH road.

Shivamogga - Tarikere - Birur - Kadur - Arasikere - Dudda - Hassan:

• Tarikere to Kadur is a mix of good and few rough patches
• Post Kadur 4 lane work is in progress resulting in bad sections and diversions
• Arasikere to Dudda (towards Hassan) is also very bad due to road work and expansion

Considering the above, the best bet for Shivamogga is still Hiriyur Hosadurga Ajjampura option. The Chitradurga route to me wasn't bad at all despite of the last 13 km of pothole ridden roads.

Tumkur Bypass is back to its worst:

When I drove to Goa and Aurangabad in Oct, the bypass had developed potholes. The potholes were patched up to an acceptable extent in subsequent weeks. However, when I drove last weekend I realised that the Tumkur bypass can be tagged as the worst stretch in the entire journey. The potholes are on all 3 lanes, remain consistent with size and number throughout the bypass and during peak hours it results in a lot of dust thrown around as vehicles pass over them. It is high time that this section gets repaired though I have always found the bypass for Tumkur to be average even in its best state because of the quality of roads bypassing other towns. Guess this has to do with the fact that this bypass is maintained by Tumkur municipality and not NHAI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FRBYFcC8UI&t=2s

Thanks Parag for this important update here. I just commented on this in another thread, but let me share my experiences here as well so that people taking this road are aware of how bad this section is.

I had a similar experience as yours. This is my usual road and although the potholes have always been there since last 2.5 years (that I can think of), they were manageable. Also recently they had repaired the potholes to a large extent.

However, I was in for a shock when I drove there this Sunday. Suddenly the condition has deteriorated so badly. The road was a mess. To make the matters worse, now there are new potholes just before one reaches Sira from Hiriyur side (I was driving in the Southward direction from Hiriyur to Bangalore). And these new potholes are huge, and to make them even deadlier, they appear suddenly without any hint in otherwise smooth 6-lane road. These could catch a driver by surprise and cause a nasty damage if one hits them at high speed.

That is just before Sira. After Sira, all the way from Sira to Tumkur, it is much worse with continuous, non-avoidable potholes in all three lanes as you mentioned.

Absolutely agree. You summarized it well. I drove this stretch Sunday around 3pm, and all three lanes were full with trucks and slow moving vehicles trying to avoid these potholes. I had no option but to slowly keep driving through these potholes. Changing lanes was not an option (and was of no use since all lanes had these potholes). This section was undoubtedly the worst experience of my otherwise enjoyable weekend drive through Chikmagalur area :-)

Parag sir, Next Sunday, we are travelling to Karwar, but it is going to be a late afternoon start from Bangalore.
Initially my plan was to take the scenic Shivamogga - Jog - Karwar route with an early morning start. But now due to change in plans, need to take a break in between.

One option is to halt at Shivamogga for the night and then proceed further next morning. How is Hiriyur-Hosadurga route to drive in late evening, say after 5.30 - 6 pm to reach Shivamogga by 8-8.30 pm ?

Alternately, should I consider a halt at Davanagere, given that it is NH48 all the way ? Next morning too, proceed further on NH48 and take Yellapura route to Karwar.

After reading yours and other bhpians recent updates on other threads, both routes have their share of good and bad stretches.
What do you suggest?

Wouldn't recommended a night drive on Hosadurga stretch. Better off stopping at DVG and then taking Sirsi route to Karwar as Yellapur - Karwar is pretty bad based on inputs on the Goa thread.

Ok. Thank you sir!
Sirsi route is fine now ? Gmaps suggests this route by default to Karwar. But I didnt see recent updates on the road conditions.

Haveri - Sirsi is fine with a few broken patches here and there. From Sirsi take the deviation via Yana/Vibhooti falls as Sirsi - Kumta is bad. There is small downhill stretch of 4km which might need some careful driving, but apart from that, roads are all good to very good on the Sirsi - Vaddi - Gangavati Bridge stretch. Post that you hit the Yellapura - Ankola highway where again there are broken patches which need to be negotiated.
Route - https://goo.gl/maps/iUsiTeuvxCCrm1HeA

This is very helpful guidance !! Thanks again procrj sir. Looks like I am all set :)
In the return direction, I will take the Shivamogga route.

A week ago, I travelled upto Hiriyur and returned same day. Tumkur bypass continues to be in the same pathetic state as mentioned by @parag and @DrAD and gives you a bone jarring ride with the top layer chipped off like a detailed piece of art work. I thought the Bangalore-Tumkur stretch was slightly better than in the return direction. Did see one very short stretch of about 100-200m patched so hopefully they're planning to work on the remaining stretches soon.

Just finished Bangalore - Mangalore - Karwar - Gokarna (yes, a little north south here and there!).
Now heading back to Bangalore on Gokarna - Jog Falls - Shimoga - Bangalore route.
Any recommendations for a good (preferably veg) restaurant for lunch on the Gokarna - Shimoga route?

If you are looking for decent and well maintained rest rooms, you can try Anmol which is Veg+Non-Veg at Saagara.

If you want pure veg only, Sadguru Residency at Saagara is a good place.

Suggesting Saagara since it will be nearly halfway between Gokarna and Shimoga.

We replanned our journey so that we do very early morning start next day instead of a late afternoon start day before. Few hours gained was not worth the effort and cost for a break journey with overnight halt.

Onward, I took Shimoga - Sagara - Honnavara - Karwar route as planned earlier. Excellent route to enjoy a relaxed drive and lot of options for pitstops too along the way. Double thanks for all the pointers you had shared in various posts.

Potholes in Tumkur road section have been patched up in the onward direction. But not yet in return direction.

Hiriyur - Hosadurga - Ajjampura - Tarikere - Bhadravathi - Shimoga is overall in good shape. I would say 10-15% of route is bumpy and potholed which is manageable. With early morning start, traffic was zero to minimal while passing through these towns.

Stopped at Shell petrol bunk, Sira for a bio break and then Aramane Vaibhava, Tarikere for breakfast. Masala Dosa was really good here. Topped up air at Bhargavi Fuels, Shimoga which is along the route itself, as TPMS was indicating low pressure in tyres.

Shimoga - Sagara - Talaguppa - Jog Falls - Honnavara - Karwar is an awesome route!! Wide and smooth roads all the way, even in the ghat section. Very minimal traffic and greenary all around. Its a sheer pleasure to drive on these roads soaking in the beauty of namma Malenadu and Karavali regions. Stopped briefly at Hotel Sagar Residency, Honnavara for quick break before hitting the final section. Rest rooms are just average, not so clean.

The coastal highway between Honnavara and Karwar alternates between bumpy older two lane roads and newer, smoother four lane roads. But sadly, 4-lane roads has come at a huge cost to the environment with massive damage to the landscape. Some of the beautiful sights along Honnavara - Kumta - Gokarna road that I remembered fondly from our previous trip has vanished without any sign.

Planning a trip to Shimoga from Bangalore with family on a sedan in 2 weeks from now. Which is the best route and how is the road condition?

Planning to leave at 7 am. would probably take a breakfast break in between. Any suggestion for a good family restaurant along the way?

Route mentioned by @mankuthimma is one of the best options
For breakfast on Tumkur road, there are few options. However, I have found Shree Rathnam PURE VEG better suited for families. Though mostly crowded, the service is quick and bathrooms are also decent.

Guys, i am planning a visit to Sakrebyle Elephant Camp from Bangalore in April 2nd week. Just checking Google Maps, the recommended route is via Shimoga, however i am curious about Mattur - Hosahalli, is it open and good for SUV?
as this goes via TB dam avoiding Bhadravati & Shimoga altogether.

https://goo.gl/maps/R7BGVu2hNKZL3Dwj6