[lejhoom]

Originally Posted by ike

So the roads are good except for some stretches between Eluru & Vizag? That is what I have understood from the recent updates.

The road work is happening between Eluru (actually a bit before) and Rajahmundry. Drove from Hyderabad to Vizag last week. As someone mentioned earlier, the biggest challenge is the moon craters immediately after the Fourth bridge across Godavari. If those ditches are waterlogged, there's no way one can tell if your car disappears in them. Indeed you have you pay Rs 60 (cash) at the toll before the ordeal starts. On this route, after Garuda at Eluru, another decent pitstop is ONE Food court at Annavaram. Another peculiar activity one notices, especially after Annavaram, is NHAI doing some minor repair like mowing grass in the median. For this they lay out 3 or 4 km of traffic cones and force vehicles to travel single file. Highly irritating to crawl behind a truck in such circumstances. However, it's advisable to stick to NH 16 throughout.

[ike]

Originally Posted by ashis89

I should be doing the BLR - BBSR stretch in the last week of November and I can share the latest update just before you start your journey.

Looks like Chitoor, Tirupathi & Nellore districts took a lot of rain and associated damage in the last few days. Fingers crossed about roads being driveable. Are you still taking this route for your trip?

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by ike

Looks like Chitoor, Tirupathi & Nellore districts took a lot of rain and associated damage in the last few days. Fingers crossed about roads being driveable. Are you still taking this route for your trip?

As of now, yes. I will continue to monitor the situation as I expect the roads to be restored in the next couple of days as they are major highways. Else, the longer route is via Hyderabad (even here, Anantapur and Kurnool seem to be impacted).

Edit: Another alternate route, to bypass Tirupati, is Chittoor - Puttur - Reniguta. I have taken this route in Feb when the Chittoor - Tirupati stretch was WIP. Will explore that too if necessary.

[bong_voyager]

Originally Posted by ashis89

As of now, yes. I will continue to monitor the situation as I expect the roads to be restored in the next couple of days as they are major highways. Else, the longer route is via Hyderabad (even here, Anantapur and Kurnool seem to be impacted).

One of my friends is doing BLR-CCU for the first time and starting on 24th.As he will be with wife and kid, I have advised him to prefer the HYD route so that chances of getting stuck is less. It will be great if someone can share more information on the routes by tomorrow.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Another alternate route, to bypass Tirupati, is Chittoor - Puttur - Reniguta. I have taken this route in Feb when the Chittoor - Tirupati stretch was WIP. Will explore that too if necessary.

Tirupati took a hit directly. Several roads like Renigunta-Rayachoty, Reingunta-Rajampeta, NH5 have taken a hit indirectly by opening an upstream dam.

If your plan is for end of this week. Stay away from north TN-south AP coast and prepare yourself for a Hyderabad drive like you did last year post Nivar

[ike]

Originally Posted by bong_voyager

One of my friends is doing BLR-CCU for the first time and starting on 24th.As he will be with wife and kid, I have advised him to prefer the HYD route so that chances of getting stuck is less. It will be great if someone can share more information on the routes by tomorrow.

I think by 24th it should be fine. The chances of him gettig stuck are remote unless there is something like a cyclone that hit the area last year. IMD says 24th is all clear. Of course this isn't an exact science and best to check the latest forecast at the time of departure.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by narayans80

If your plan is for end of this week. Stay away from north TN-south AP coast and prepare yourself for a Hyderabad drive like you did last year post Nivar

End of this week, it is. And history seems to be repeating itself.

All thanks to timely advice, the trip last year was uneventful (but longer). It is the same time of the year again and Hyderabad just can't get enough of me!

If I opt for the usual coastal road, what can I expect - diversions and bad roads to patchwork done on the highway or traffic queues or both? Google maps shows flood alert but no traffic disruptions at the usual spots - Tirupati, Reniguta, Nellore, etc.

I haven't explored yet but have you heard any updates around Anantapur and Kurnool?

[bong_voyager]

Originally Posted by ike

I think by 24th it should be fine. The chances of him gettig stuck are remote unless there is something like a cyclone that hit the area last year.

Actually weather wise we don't see any problem. However, according to some news portals, a small section in NH16 near nellore has broken down completely. Hence the dilemma.


The Chennai-Kolkata National Highway-16 had to be closed down for traffic in SPS Nellore district following a heavy breach of road at Padugupadu.[Source]

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by bong_voyager

One of my friends is doing BLR-CCU for the first time and starting on 24th.As he will be with wife and kid, I have advised him to prefer the HYD route so that chances of getting stuck is less. It will be great if someone can share more information on the routes by tomorrow.

As Narayanan mentioned, for Nov 24th, it's better to stick to Bangalore-Hyderababd-Vijayawada route. It is longer but faster and less chance of a surprise road blockade.

Start at 5 from Bangalore and one can cross Hyderabad by lunch hours and Vijaywada by evening.

PS: I will take this route unless I get confirmed report that the Nellore route is back on track.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ashis89

If I opt for the usual coastal road, what can I expect - diversions and bad roads to patchwork done on the highway or traffic queues or both? Google maps shows flood alert but no traffic disruptions at the usual spots - Tirupati, Reniguta, Nellore, etc.

Last week's system didn't even hammer the NH5. There were only moderate rains. But then upstream dam discharge resulted in a deluge on NH5 last Saturday.

That Audi Shankara college bridge that was Nivar victim is not fully repaired yet and there was a deluge last week and another one enroute (exact impact points unknown).

Last year the traffic was standing 30-50 km on either side. The workarounds I took too were flooded.

Once you cross Vijayawada, the only 'escape routes' are NAM-Hyderabad at Narketapalli and Nellore-Badvel-Mydukur-Nandyal-Kurnool. The former is unlikely to be affected that badly, am not sure how the latter stretch gets affected. The Badvel route is brilliant in the dry.

Rather than deal with all these uncertainties, its better to consciously take the Vijayawada-Hyderabad.

[bong_voyager]

Originally Posted by ashis89

PS: I will take this route unless I get confirmed report that the Nellore route is back on track.

My friend took a leap of faith by taking the Nellore route. Started from Varthur at 3:30am today and crossed Nellore around 10:30am. There is a small section of the chennai bound side where repair work is going on and both side traffic is plying on kolkata bound lane. However, no hold up of traffic as such.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by bong_voyager

My friend took a leap of faith by taking the Nellore route. Started from Varthur at 3:30am today and crossed Nellore around 10:30am. There is a small section of the chennai bound side where repair work is going on and both side traffic is plying on kolkata bound lane. However, no hold up of traffic as such.

Thank you for the update! You just saved me from a 250km detour.

I hope the remaining stretch of your friend's journey, beyond Nellore, was equally uneventful?

[bong_voyager]

Originally Posted by ashis89

I hope the remaining stretch of your friend's journey, beyond Nellore, was equally uneventful?

Yes absolutely. Reached Vijayawada around 3:30pm. So a total of 12 hours with 2-3 breaks and an extended stretch of slow driving due to fog on the BLR-Chittor section.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by ike

Looks like Chitoor, Tirupathi & Nellore districts took a lot of rain and associated damage in the last few days. Fingers crossed about roads being driveable. Are you still taking this route for your trip?

So I took that route and reached Vijaywada. Only bad patch is Reniguta - Naidupeta and some portions of the Tirupati bypass road.

While the road was bad earlier, with the recent rains, the top layer is gone in most of this patch. Tirupati bypass has big potholes in a few spots. Naidupetaa - Vijaywada remains good. Couple of stretches where the oncoming traffic and you share the same lane but it's moving traffic.

Will share the onward route update in a couple of days.

PS: I got rains starting from Tirupati till about 30kms before Ongole. And torrential rains around Nellore. No wonder it's the most affected region.

[ashis89]

Vijayawada to Bhubaneswar route update

- Starting from Vijayawada, roads until Hanuman junction are good. The next 40 odd kms are bad. With the ongoing flyover work, one has to go through diversions and service roads which are poorly laid. Watch out for rare few but big potholes.

- After Komirepalle (this is spot: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EHMuezar8ppzMd73A), I left the NH16 and ended up at Godavari 4th bridge. BIG MISTAKE! I have always adviced on this thread, to stick to the NH and yet, I missed it this time. I blame the myself for being unmindful as I was chatting with my mom and just followed GMaps at this spot. Flyover work and newly laid roads also played a part.

Coming to the repercursion, the toll before the Godavari bridge proudly proclaimed that they don't accept Fastags. And there was a massive pile up of trucks and cars, everyone fighting tooth and nail to pass through. Didn't check the exact time but must have wasted 30 mins idling in that jam.

Post crossing the bridge, the next 20 kms stretch is horrible to say the least, until you hit the NH16. You find potholes which even the trucks avoid. Scraped my underbody at one spot.

- Rajahmundry to Vizag is excellent. As per Google suggestions, I took the Anakapelle bypass knowing well that 40% of that route is bad. I wanted to avoid Vizag city traffic and I was happy with the decision. Took me 80 mins to cross Vizag and hit NH16 again near Anandapuram.

- Roads are excellent again until you near Berhampur. While the roads are good here, you will find a lot of errant drivers and riders in this 20-30km stretch.

- Most of the flyovers beyond Vizag are complete. Only ones remaining are at the fag end of the journey, last 200 kms.

- The Patrapada flyover work has proved to be a major pain point to enter Bhubaneswar city (in case anyone is going via this route). The trick is to get to the service road as soon as the traffic starts. I realised this very late and lost another 30 mins in this circus.

Because of the better roads and most of the flyovers being ready, it took me about 40 mins less than my last trip in Feb. This is inspite of losing an hour at the two pain points