[reddevil_appu]

I am due to leave Hyderabad on a permanent basis very soon (probably in a week to ten days). I had previously driven down from Kolkata to Hyderabad via Bhubaneshwar, and Vizag (with a few short excursions to Puri and Araku in between). What I realized from that trip was that the highway in the south of Orissa and near the Andhra border was non-existent and rubbish; and I vowed to never subject my car to it ever again.

In keeping with my policy of not entrusting my pride and joy to some transporter, I now have to do the return trip. As you might imagine, I am in a bit of a pickle now; I therefore turn to ye all for advice. I am planning to go to Kolkata by road but I need suggestions/ inputs/ advice on what route to take etc.

Would appreciate any help I could get.

Thanks

[hvkumar]

The route you took earlier - NH9/NH5 is the best, no others. If you go via Nagpur (NH7/NH6), you may subject yourself to long-term treatment for back pain and land up as a hostage with Naxals in the JH-WB border!!!

NO update on the Ichchapuram (AP-OR border), but I guess that should be much better now.

[pkumar]

I dont think there is any other way other than Vizag-bhubaneshwar, which is anywhere close in terms of safety(naxals) or speed of the drive.

[KALINGA]

There is no other option you can avoid the AP-OR border. This the best,safe route from HYD to KOL.

The other option may be...

HYD --> Nagpur --> Raipur --> Sambalpur --> Cuttack (No need to go to cuttack town, From Manguli squre ,take left turn towards BALASORE) --> BALASORE --> Kharagpur --> KOLKATA.

I dont have any update about the HYD --> Nagpur --> Raipur --> Sambalpur road condition. But rest od the route is in excellent condition till KOLKATA.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

The route you took earlier - NH9/NH5 is the best, no others. If you go via Nagpur (NH7/NH6), you may subject yourself to long-term treatment for back pain and land up as a hostage with Naxals in the JH-WB border!!!

NO update on the Ichchapuram (AP-OR border), but I guess that should be much better now.

The Ichchapuram to Berhampur stretch has been terrible from times immemorial. I bottomed out by M800 way back in 1995.

Originally Posted by KALINGA

There is no other option you can avoid the AP-OR border. This the best,safe route from HYD to KOL.

The other option may be...

HYD --> Nagpur --> Raipur --> Sambalpur --> Cuttack (No need to go to cuttack town, From Manguli squre ,take left turn towards BALASORE) --> BALASORE --> Kharagpur --> KOLKATA.

I dont have any update about the HYD --> Nagpur --> Raipur --> Sambalpur road condition. But rest od the route is in excellent condition till KOLKATA.

The route above is a good alternative, but might be much longer.

Hyd to Nagpur is patchy beyond Nirmal and after the border with Maharashtra. From Nagpur to Bhilai, it is pretty good. A pal travelled 10 days ago and gave me this information

Raipur is hardly 40 kms beyond Bhilai. I am not sure of the road between Raipur and Sambalpur.

[KALINGA]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

The Ichchapuram to Berhampur stretch has been terrible from times immemorial. I bottomed out by M800 way back in 1995.

GQ work is going on ...so i hope road must be good.


The route above is a good alternative, but might be much longer.

Hyd to Nagpur is patchy beyond Nirmal and after the border with Maharashtra. From Nagpur to Bhilai, it is pretty good. A pal travelled 10 days ago and gave me this information

Raipur is hardly 40 kms beyond Bhilai. I am not sure of the road between Raipur and Sambalpur.

Still i dont get any update on that strech.

From Vijayanagarm to BBSR...another route is there. But i dont think it will work.
That route has worst road i ever seen in the planet ..
and Naxel threat, Very very poor facilty(Food / lodging etc..)

[KALINGA]

One more Route You may consider..

HYD --> NAGPUR --> RAIPUR --> NUAPARA --> KOMNA --> KHARIAR ROAD --> TITILAGARHA --> BALANGIR --> SONEPUR --> REDHAKHOL --> MANGULI SQURE (Cuttack) --> BALASORE --> KHARAGPUR --> KOLKATA

Road Condition :-

HYD --> NAGPUR --> RAIPUR :- No update. but must be good.
RAIPUR --> NUAPARA --> KOMNA :- Not that bad. Single Laned. Very less traffic.
KOMNA --> KHARIAR ROAD --> TITILAGARHA :- Single Laned. Very less traffic.
TITILAGARHA --> BALANGIR :- Single Laned. Very less traffic.
BALANGIR --> SONEPUR :- Single Laned. Very less traffic.
SONEPUR --> REDHAKHOL :- Single Laned. Excellent Road.Very very less traffic. Drive carefully in village area.
REDHAKHOL --> MANGULI SQURE (Cuttack) :- SH in good condition. Less Traffic.

MANGULI SQURE (Cuttack) --> BALASORE --> KHARAGPUR --> KOLKATA :- I hope you already know this route. Excellent GQ.Except some patch. But surface is good. Good speed can be maintained.

A total 1408 KM travel.

[9tMax]

Originally Posted by reddevil_appu

I had previously driven down from Kolkata to Hyderabad via Bhubaneshwar, and Vizag (with a few short excursions to Puri and Araku in between). What I realized from that trip was that the highway in the south of Orissa and near the Andhra border was non-existent and rubbish; and I vowed to never subject my car to it ever again.

Just for the sake of avoiding a couple of kms of lunar landscape near Ichchapuram, you want to deprive yourself of the pleasure of gliding on NH-5 for more than 1000 km?

As is already suggested by others, the NH5 is by far the best option for Hyd - Cal. I did it last year march once in my fully loaded logan. The AP-OR border was no doubt horrible, but the worst stretch was may be for just a couple of km, and I managed it without scraping my underbelly even once by crawling and crossing the stretch in broad daylight, so that you can judge the depth of the craters clearly and hence avoid them carefully.

And at that time, as per NHAI website, the total length of incomplete stretch was about 110 km. Whereas as per the current map, that stretch has come down to just 46 km. So i think you can certainly expect some improvement over your last experience.

And IIRC, in some thread, I think I read that the Ichchapuram bypass is now operational. Can anybody confirm that? And BTW, how is the condition of NH-5 now, after this year's bumper monsoon? Any updates from anybody?

Will be keeping a close watch on this thread, because next month I will also be travelling on this route.

[deepakkher]

the NHAI web site now shows that NH5 is almost complete but for 18 kms. has anyone traveled lately on this road from Hyderabad to kolkata?

will be grateful for suggestions for road journey from Panaji(Goa) to Hyderabad and onward to Kolkata.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by deepakkher

the NHAI web site now shows that NH5 is almost complete but for 18 kms. has anyone traveled lately on this road from Hyderabad to kolkata?

will be grateful for suggestions for road journey from Panaji(Goa) to Hyderabad and onward to Kolkata.

Panjim to Goa on any given route is a good 14 hour drive.I would suggest you take the following route:

Route 1.Panjim-Sawantwadi-Amboli-Gadhinglaj-Sankeshwar-NH4-Kolhapur-Miraj-Sangole Circle-Mangalwedha-Solapur-Homnabad-Hyderabad.
Panaji, Goa to Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh - Google Maps

For more updates between Goa & Hyderabad,you could check this thread:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2560984

Hyd-Kolkata:

Hyderabad-NH9-Suryapet-Vijayawada-NH5-Vizag and onwards to Kolkata.This should ideally be a 2 day drive.With an early morning start from Hyderabad,you should be doing your 1st night stopover at Vizag and second night you would be in Kolkata.Hyd-VJA would be a 6hour drive as 4 laning is in progress between Hyd & Vijayawada.After that the NH5 is in very good condition and 4 laned.Expect some bad stretches at the AOB(Andhra-Orissa Border),after which roads have been reported to be good.

[debopam]

Hi All,

I need some advice on this one - I plan to go from Hyderabad to Kolkata this weekend. The route decided is Hyderabad -> Vijaywada -> Vizag -> follow GQ till Kharagpur -> Mumbai Road -> Kolkata.

Stipulated days - 2
Proposed Night halt - Rushikonda.
Car - Alto LXI 2010. Serviced recently at Varun Motors, Begumpet with no reported issues. Little jolts on 1st Gear, because of clutch. Odometer reading approx. 22k kms. Last tested mileage in HYD with AC - 15.5km/ltr

Please let me know if sounds ok to you guys.
Eagerly waiting for your advice.

Regards,
Debopam

[black_panther]

Originally Posted by debopam

Hi All,

I need some advice on this one - I plan to go from Hyderabad to Kolkata this weekend. The route decided is Hyderabad -> Vijaywada -> Vizag -> follow GQ till Kharagpur -> Mumbai Road -> Kolkata.

Stipulated days - 2
Proposed Night halt - Rushikonda.
Car - Alto LXI 2010. Serviced recently at Varun Motors, Begumpet with no reported issues. Little jolts on 1st Gear, because of clutch. Odometer reading approx. 22k kms. Last tested mileage in HYD with AC - 15.5km/ltr

Please let me know if sounds ok to you guys.
Eagerly waiting for your advice.

Regards,
Debopam

Vizag-Kolkata took 13 hours in late November with some aggressive driving.
There was no major bad surface, and the GQ section in the AP-Orissa border is complete and superfast. Barkul - BBSR was a bit pain due to incomplete GQ and crowded railway crossings. Crossing BBSR during the day is also a pain due to flyover construction and heavy local motorbike traffic.

[debopam]

Originally Posted by black_panther

Crossing BBSR during the day is also a pain due to flyover construction and heavy local motorbike traffic.

Thanks for the timelines. I do not plan to cross BBSR. I think I saw a bypass for BBSR on google maps. Also that Kol-Vizag took 13 hrs, doesn't it negate chances of making to kolkata from hyd in 2 days? I am totally inexperienced in overnight driving.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by debopam

Thanks for the timelines. I do not plan to cross BBSR. I think I saw a bypass for BBSR on google maps. Also that Kol-Vizag took 13 hrs, doesn't it negate chances of making to kolkata from hyd in 2 days? I am totally inexperienced in overnight driving.

AFAIK,there is no bypass for Bhubaneswar.You could do Vizag-Kolkota in a day provided you leave Vizag really early(around 4am).You would be in Bhubaneshwar for a late breakfast and you should be in Kolkota by around 6pm.If you manage to leave early then there would be no night driving.I would suggest that you PM Tbhpian Kalinga for the best way to negotiate Bhubaneshwar roads and get onto the Cuttack road.

[black_panther]

Originally Posted by debopam

Thanks for the timelines. I do not plan to cross BBSR. I think I saw a bypass for BBSR on google maps. Also that Kol-Vizag took 13 hrs, doesn't it negate chances of making to kolkata from hyd in 2 days? I am totally inexperienced in overnight driving.

As pointed out, there is no bypass road for BBSR and traffic upto Cuttack is more or less heavy.
Starting really early from Vizag, you should reach Bhadrak by lunch and there are several eateries there.
Even if you are late, you should reach Kolkata by 8PM, but remember to cross the Orissa-WB border before sundown. There might be queues of trucks blocking both the lanes, and you might need to offroad to cross the border.