[Newpunter]

Thanks guys. This is going to be my longest and least well planned trip so far, so i need all the advice . I will try to update the road conditions once i get back.

[carZest]

Just did this today morning.

With regards to the speed-breakers around Devanahalli: although unmarked they all have an associated speed-breaker sign 50-100 meters before each of them. These are on clearly visible sign-boards. If you keep an eye to the left you will see these - they also cover important messages such as: break in median, crossing, hospitals etc. From what I remember they are not yellow in color like the ones we have in the city, but are very clear.

An occasional glance to the left easily helps detect upcoming speed-breakers. I could maintain 100+ speeds on this section today at 4 am without missing any of these. In fact the only which I missed was right after the Ravi Teja bunk near Gooty in AP. Brakes helds so no problem!

[crisscross]

Any advivce on reliable petrol pumps on Bangalore to Hyderabad.

[carZest]

Originally Posted by crisscross

Any advivce on reliable petrol pumps on Bangalore to Hyderabad.

The BP company owned outlets. You will find these near Chickballapur and Gooty. AFAIK there are 2 more such outlets.

[nagvasireddy]

I am planning to drive down to Bangalore (HSR layout, to be precise) from Hyderabad on next Sunday. I am expecting to reach Devanahalli by 1 P.M. What's the most convinient route to reach HSR layout from that point? My knowledge of Bangalore city road network is very limited.

[SPEEDY_RACER]

Originally Posted by nagvasireddy

I am planning to drive down to Bangalore (HSR layout, to be precise) from Hyderabad on next Sunday. I am expecting to reach Devanahalli by 1 P.M. What's the most convinient route to reach HSR layout from that point? My knowledge of Bangalore city road network is very limited.

Just follow the Same road, reach HEbbal Fly over, and then take a left before the hebbal fly over and follow the Outer Ring Road.

it will take you to HSR Layout.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by nagvasireddy

I am planning to drive down to Bangalore (HSR layout, to be precise) from Hyderabad on next Sunday. I am expecting to reach Devanahalli by 1 P.M. What's the most convinient route to reach HSR layout from that point? My knowledge of Bangalore city road network is very limited.

Continue till Hebbal interchange,dont climb the flyover,stay to the left most road and continue.You are now on the Outer Ring Road.Continue on the road till the end of the road at KR Puram.At KR Puram,follow signboard to the outer ring road and get onto the ring road,keep on the ring road till the end of the road(you would cross an underpass at Marhahalli),keep going,you would cross Intel's campus on the left,at the end of the ring road,take a right,followed by a left next to a very big lake(Bellandur) and you are now on HSR Layout.Depending on your destination address,you could proceed further.

Originally Posted by carZest

The BP company owned outlets. You will find these near Chickballapur and Gooty. AFAIK there are 2 more such outlets.

+1 to this,plenty of BP outlets and plus the Reliance pumps have re-opened at Kurnool,Dhone,Gooty,Anantpur.All of them give you good fuels.The one at Dhone has a functioning A1 Plaza as well.

[nagvasireddy]

@ Speedy racer, Ranjitp1 - thanks for your advice. If I were to go to Koramangala, would it make sense to go thru the city instead of taking ORR??

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by nagvasireddy

@ Speedy racer, Ranjitp1 - thanks for your advice. If I were to go to Koramangala, would it make sense to go thru the city instead of taking ORR??

To koramangala,the easiest way is to take the left at Hebbal interchange,keep on the ring road till the end of the stretch,take a right at KR Puram,you would see a huge flyover curving to your left saying chennai dont take the flyover,instead take a right before the flyover(beware there is no road under the flyover)so you need to keep right and take a right(very weird construction like the rest of the roads in blore!)

go on the road to the right and to your left you would see the huge Byappanalli metro terminus,followed by NGEF to your right.Just follow the road and the road ends at a signal on Old Madras Road.At the signal take a right followed by a left at the next signal.You are now on the BEML Road,keep on the road till the end of the road where you would encounter another signal.It is a dead end.

At the signal take a right,and you are now on the old airport road.Follow the road,you would cross Manipal Hospital on your left,followed by The Leela Palace on your right,followed by Diamond District to your left.Immediately following this is the Indiranagar Interchange.Take a left below the interchange and you are now on the Koramangala inner ring road,which takes you directly to koramangala.From the point where the ring road ends(approx 5kms)koramangala begins.This is the simplest way to get to koramangala from hebbal.

[spadix]

Originally Posted by nagvasireddy

@ Speedy racer, Ranjitp1 - thanks for your advice. If I were to go to Koramangala, would it make sense to go thru the city instead of taking ORR??

A lot depends on the time of the day. Many times I find it takes the same amount of time whether you go through the city or via the route Ranjit described (or small variants of it).

The route within the city, especially via RT Nagar/JC Nagar and Cantonment, then via Queen's Road, Lavelle Road, Residency/Brigade and Adugodi is pretty decent during non-peak hours. This is especially true if you want to reach Koramangala 5th/6th/7th blocks.

If, however, you want to reach Koramangala 3rd block or 1st block and it's already 5 or 6 pm, it's better to simply take the route Ranjit prescribed, or the ORR all the way up to Sarjapur/HSR Layout, and then turn in to Koramangala. The traffic jam in 7th block near Forum at these hours is worse than Chinese water torture.

Regards,
spadix

[ampere]

I would say with so many constructions of flyovers happening on the ORR, its worth taking the road through the city.

Thanks to Vidhan Soudha being close to MG Road you can get almist hassle free drive till MG (As that was a Govt priority to get a zero stop ride all the way to the new airport). Its from there the fun starts till you reach Koramangala/HSR.

I would say even HSR go through the city. Owing to flyover construction, I have not taken ORR for a long long time. Dont even know what the current status is.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by ampere

I would say with so many constructions of flyovers happening on the ORR, its worth taking the road through the city.

I would say even HSR go through the city. Owing to flyover construction, I have not taken ORR for a long long time. Dont even know what the current status is.

The flyover construction is not that bad.I took the road last month,except for a bottleneck after the Arabic college signal,the rest of the traffic is well regulated.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

The flyover construction is not that bad.I took the road last month,except for a bottleneck after the Arabic college signal,the rest of the traffic is well regulated.

The issue is that just to make it zero stop zone they have started constructing fly-overs at most points on ORR in parallel. Add to it the super-fast access on the NH7 from MG Road (due to international airport), I found it much faster, even during peak hours. Distance is also much lesser.

NH7 chokes only at MG Road to Richmond road crossing. But if you know by-lanes, even that can be by-passed.

I guess its individual comfort zone about the access one feels comfortable to drive. Some how I never felt comfortable on ORR, with heavy through traffic, trucks and cabs, some times it becomes very difficult.

[luvurride]

The Sarjapur Road junction and Agara junction flyovers are now completed and hence the drive is better. You'll choke in only 2 places now and that too in peak hours- The junction before Bellandur(think it is Kadubeesanahalli or something) and the HSR signal.

[nagvasireddy]

Did Hyd-B'lore drive on Feb 27 (Sunday). The road condition was awesome. I started from Sainikpuri at 5 AM, reached Shamshabad at 6 AM. It took me flat 6 Hrs to reach B'lore airport from Shamshabad (incl. 30 minutes break for breakfast). BTW, there aren't many good joints on the highway for breakfast. Hotel Nandana (some 20 KM before Gooty) may be the best bet. I read somewhere about Harita Rock Garden resort @Orvakal 20 KM after Kurnool. I was looking for it to stop for breakfast, but could n't find it even 60 KM after Kurnool.

There were 6 or 7 toll gates between Hyd and B'lore - total toll fees of about Rs. 400.

I some how missed out on getting onto ORR at Hebbal, went upto Mekri circle, took advice from a biker to reach Koramangala via KR puram and inner Ring Road.

Awesome journey with very little stress or surprises overall...