[spadix]

Originally Posted by 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.

So how was your trip? Today the newspapers carried an article that announced the formal opening of the ORR stretch that would've helped you bypass Hyderabad completely enroute Bhadrachalam.

This might come in handy in subsequent trips .

Regards,
spadix

[9tMax]

Originally Posted by nagvasireddy

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.

That's not on the Kurnool - Bangalore NH-7, that's on the Kurnool-Nandyal-Chittoor route. Will come on your right side, about 20 km after kurnool.

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by spadix

So how was your trip? Today the newspapers carried an article that announced the formal opening of the ORR stretch that would've helped you bypass Hyderabad completely enroute Bhadrachalam.

This might come in handy in subsequent trips .

Regards,
spadix

That is a great update. This will reduce the commute times by a lot and also reduce the confusion. Thanks.

Originally Posted by nagvasireddy

Did Hyd-B'lore drive on Feb 27 (Sunday). The road condition was awesome.

What happened to the railway level crossing at Penukonda and the notorious back-breaking speed-beraker there? Are they still there or ROB completed?

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

What happened to the railway level crossing at Penukonda and the notorious back-breaking speed-beraker there? Are they still there or ROB completed?

Complete Peukonda town is bypassed. No more railway gates. Unfortunately we cant see Kumbhakarna also...

Thanks a lot, sriturl, for the prompt response. Nice to learn about completion of Penukonda bypass.

[ranjitp1]

Everything is complete and the bad news is that the the tolls gone up as well now.It now costs approx INR 400RS one way hyd-blr.Once the Blr airport toll also comes up,it should reach around INR 450 I presume.Very expensive indeed.There are three tolls of INR 70-75 and around three to four tolls of INR 43-55.

[vnabhi]

Folks,
I plan to drive down to BLR in mid-May. I've seen many posts on eating joints, fuel joints and speed-breakers, but many by-passes have been put in place after that.

Can someone please give an update on :-

1. Eating joints along the highway (no detours please)
2. Fuel joints, especially from Kurnool onwards
3. Whether all towns have been bypassed
4. Where to watch out for speed-breakers.

Thanks.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Folks,
Can someone please give an update on :-

1. Eating joints along the highway (no detours please)
2. Fuel joints, especially from Kurnool onwards
3. Whether all towns have been bypassed
4. Where to watch out for speed-breakers.

Thanks.

1. Eating places. In the order of appearance Hyd->Blr

• A few dhabas near Jadcharla. Couple of them Pure Veg. Never tried
• A new eating outlet, donot remember the name, but a swanky new one with a symbol of car etc. Didnt try. Looks good from outside.
• One more new outlet, which said pure Veg. This is also around Jadcharla
• Bharat Petroleum Ghar dhaba Somewhere before Kurnool, average stuff.
• Reliance peroleumA1 Plaza. Before Gooty by pass. Didnt try, not much of crowd. I just picked up cool drinks from there
• Ravi Teja just after Gooty by pass. (Very average, but not too bad either)
• APTDC restaurant at the AP-Karnataka border, (on right side while going to Blr, just had coffee, didnt try food.
• Kamat along with BP outlet, before Chikkaballapur bypass (right side)

2. Fuel outlets (Lot of them)

• Lot of other outlets, as mentioned in the previous list, BP bunks are more prominent.
• There are two BP COCOs one before Kurnool, You will find the small boards pointing towards COCO from around 15 km before. Left side when going from Hyd->Blr
• 2nd BP COCO is just at the other end of Gooty by pass. Both COCOs accept credit cards. Tried both places.
• Reliance on left side just before Gooty. I would go there depending on fuel rate. They too accept credit cards. This time(day before yesterday) it was 48 Rs per litre of diesel, so gave it a miss.

3. Yes all towns are by-passed, watch out of opposite side traffic around towns particularly Kurnool and Anantapur.

4. Speed breakers. None in AP, you will find the road barriers instead, on many stretches from Shamshabad, upto Kurnool.
In KA, there are two places you find speed breakers, one at the end of ChikkaBallapura by-pass, and other at Devanahalli by-pass (both ends)

[ranjitp1]

Theres one before Jadcherla somewhere near Shadnagar called Hill View Drive In.Its a pretty good one and new as well.But the problem is all the eating joints are either too close to Hyd or too close to BLR.The AP Haritha one is at the KA-AP border after Penukonda.Ravi Theja like Sri advised is bad.

Guess its a typo from Sri-The Kurnool BP COCO is onto your right when you go from Hyd to BLR.

Time somebody really ventured out to try opening a couple of good eateries on NH7.Compare this to the stretch of NH7 between Blore and Coimbatore,and the stretch is littered with Kamats/A2Bs & plus so many others.Probably the reason is HYD-BLR does not see much of passenger car traffic as opposed to BLR-CBE.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Probably the reason is HYD-BLR does not see much of passenger car traffic as opposed to BLR-CBE.

Hope the BLR-HYD road remains less crowded for few more years. This is the only road out of Bangalore where you can have a peaceful drive these days.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Guess its a typo from Sri-The Kurnool BP COCO is onto your right when you go from Hyd to BLR.

I guess there is one on the right as you mentioned, but the one which I mentioned, I now remember that it is called Rangareddy Guda. Some where closer to Jadcharla. I filled up there last Wednesday while going to Hyd. I was almost zero and was searching for a good place, so I remember it well

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Compare this to the stretch of NH7 between Blore and Coimbatore,and the stretch is littered with Kamats/A2Bs & plus so many others.Probably the reason is HYD-BLR does not see much of passenger car traffic as opposed to BLR-CBE.

This is because the stretch between Blr-Krishnagiri is common for NH7 (towards Madurai) and Chennai which joins NH4. This stretch is common for both North - South corridor and GQ. So heavy traffic from Blr towards 50% of KL and most of TN.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Originally Posted by sriturl

This is because the stretch between Blr-Krishnagiri is common for NH7 (towards Madurai) and Chennai which joins NH4. This stretch is common for both North - South corridor and GQ. So heavy traffic from Blr towards 50% of KL and most of TN.

Another reason is, most people prefer to travel by night between Bangalore and Hyderabad, the reason being, they can save a day by travelling at night.
So, traffic is sparse on NH44 during the day.
This is why NH44 is a really safe highway during the day, and one can cruise at relatively high speeds too.
About food, the Puri - palya at Kamath is just too delicious!!

[vnabhi]

Many thanks @sriturl, @ranjitp1 and @Arkin%. That is surely a wealth of information for me!

So is it a good idea to start at 7'ish from Hyd, have breakfast enroute near Jadcherla and reach Bangalore in the afternoon in order to beat city traffic there? Is 3 pm arrival time realistic for Whitefield?

I als need directions to go to Whitefield from Hebbal flyover.

One more question: from where do I need to bother about speed limits? I read somewhere on this forum that Bangy cops have speed guns near the city on the Hyd Highway.

Thanks

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

So is it a good idea to start at 7'ish from Hyd, have breakfast enroute near Jadcherla and reach Bangalore in the afternoon in order to beat city traffic there? Is 3 pm arrival time realistic for Whitefield?

I als need directions to go to Whitefield from Hebbal flyover.

If you need to go to Whitefield, you don't need to go to Hebbal at all. You can catch the NH207 at Devanahalli and directly go to Whitefield and avoid all the traffic. Check this thread for details :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2144782

Edit: Here is the route in Google Maps :
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,0.593948&z=11