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-   -   Bangalore - Vijayawada - Vizag - Bhubaneswar : Route Queries (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/89966-bangalore-vijayawada-vizag-bhubaneswar-route-queries-68.html)

Hello fellow BHPians, I am planning for a drive from Assam to Bangalore in the first week of December. As this thread is relevant for a major portion of my overall drive, I would like your inputs.

We will be 2 drivers in a new Harrier, we are thinking of completing this 3K KMs drive in 3 days (probably a little too ambitious). But reading through updates in this forum for different sections of our route gives me confidence that it is doable with 2 days of 15-16 hours of driving and the middle day with 10-12 hours of driving. As this will be out last leg, as per my current plan drive from Guwahati till Kolkata/Durgapur/Asansol on day 1 stay for the night, then drive till Vizag/Anakapalle on day 2 and plan to cover Vizag to Bangalore via Vijaywada - Tirupati route on day 3 by starting early in the morning (before 6).

Based on the experienced folks here, do you think of this is doable? If yes, what will be your advise for the same? Also, specifically for the last days drive anything to keep in mind and plan for in advance and when shall we expect to reach Bangalore. We expect to maintain highway speeds wherever possible while maintaining road safety with some breaks in between.

Thank you in advance.

I suggest you don't pay for the hotel bookings in advance and have the flexibility of retiring sooner if you are unable to cover the desired distance in a day. That way you can complete the 3k trip in 3.5-4 days, if not 3.

I would be skeptical of the last leg Vizag to Bangalore, on day 3. I have the following reasons:
Vizag to Rajahmundry is not a 'fast' leg due to frequent local traffic. A friend who travelled last week, didn't have good things to say about the Rajahmundry bypass(one stretch where we could make good progress earlier).
Vijayawada city takes 1-2 hours to cross depending on the hour of the day when you are traveling.
Naidupet - Tirupati stretch was still work in progress when I went in June this year. With all those diversions, I didn't prefer taking that route post dusk.
Tirupati - Mulbagal road stretch I find a little deserted and I wouldn't be comfortable traveling this stretch late at night (post 10PM).
Traffic jams or unforeseen disruptions could jeopardize the travel times so better to have buffer.

PS: I once drove from Bangalore to Vizag in a single day. Started from Bangalore at 4:30AM and could reach Vizag by 11:30PM, all because we had booked the stay in Vizag already. Never did that again.

Just a few thoughts as I drive the Kolkata - Chennai route regularly.
Keep an extra day in hand.
Guwahati to Kolkata in one day will be difficult. Parts of NH-12 (nee NH-34) are narrow in some areas and may slow you down.
Potential bottlenecks are Farakka barrage, Kaliachak crossing, Beldanga, Bhabta railway crossing. If you insist on driving late into the night, then deviate from NH-34 and take the Kalyani expressway from Kalyani Town, to reach the Belghoria Expressway, from where you can turn right for the South India bound route, bypassing the entire jam of Kolkata.
Kolkata to Vishakhapatnam will take close to 16 hours. NH-16 through Orissa has ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recogntion Camera's) and the speed limit is 80 kmph. Please keep that in mind.

Thank you for the detailed explanation; and yes though the aim is to complete it in 3 days, I am pretty much keeping one day buffer. As we can not predict the scenarios that will occur. Also, we being 2 guys, it gives us the flexibility to look for hotels when we reach a location.

Thank you Arjab, I have read your updates on the Siliguri - Kolkata route thread as well. In September, you mentioned that you were able to complete that stretch in 10 hours onwards and 10 hrs 40 mins in return. As I am hearing Guwahati to Siliguri can be done in 6-7 hours, that's where I am being optimistic to cover that section in one day of about 16-18 hours drive (being 2 drivers). We also intend to start early around 4/4.30 in the morning. But I am also exploring alternate route like you have suggested to avoid Kolkata altogether like staying in Durgapur or Asansol. Please do suggest what will be the best route for me to take that will give maximum highway drive with minimal city entry and exits.

Covering 800-900 kms in a day can be targeted easily. Average speed including breaks without overspeeding anywhere and driving stress-free, is about 65 kmph between Bengaluru and Kolkata in my experience. Sharing this between 2 drivers is a no-brainer.

However, I won't push to 1k per day as we should plan for some buffer and there will still be much to cover even on later days. Also, not all towns may have decent places to stay overnight with secure parking etc.

BLR - Gauhati can be split thus:
Day 1: BLR-RJY 830 kms.
Pushing it to Vizag (1030 km) is a problem as RJY-Vizag (Anakapalle) is like old BLR-Mysore road. Moreover, getting into Vizag wastes the benefit of excellent Vizag bypass. Budget 1 hour extra for Vijawayada bypass (work has started but is still a year or more away from completion).

Day 2: RJY-KGP (950 km)
AP highways are like those of the West, but OD has speed limits. Even then, average speed can still be high as traffic is not too much and most roadworks are complete (except between Soro near Baleshwar and the start of NH60 (about 60 km stretch). It is possible to cross OD quickly enough without overspeeding anywhere (450 kms).

Day 3: KGP-Siliguri (or Coochbehar) (550-720 kms)
Average speeds in WB are not too great, so it is better to split the journey with a stop at SLG or COB. Note that the 4 lane ends at Dhupguri, so if that part has to be covered after dark, better to stay at Siliguri.

Day 4: SLG/ COB - Gauhati
Gauhati is not too far from either, and can be reached on the 4th day before noon.

This bypasses Kolkata completely, and it should be a priority as there are 2-3 signals on NH16 in Howrah which can take up to 2 hours to cross on an average day.

The route can be KGP - Bankura - Durgapur Barrage - Siuri - Siliguri (avoid direct Raniganj route as truck traffic is higher). State highways in WB are of good quality mostly, even if 2 lane undivided.

As of 2nd Nov, this 6-lane stretch is done except Naidupeta bypass (last 3 kms). Some stretches have single carriageway for both sides, but not a big deal. Srikalahasti bypass is also open, and NH16 is now just 50-60 mins away from Tirupati.

Edit: Observed that you are planning the reverse route, i.e. Assam - BLR, In that case on day 1 Gauhati - Malda can be planned. On 2nd day, stretch to Barkul/ Rambha (they have OTDC hotels here), then 3rd day to Nellore (950km). Needs a bit of planning like crossing Vizag-RJY 12-3 pm, stretch to Vijayawada (the 160 kms next are excellent) and cross it just before evening traffic. Nellore is about 3-3.5 hours from Vijayawada. Day 4 Nellore - BLR (380 km) by early afternoon.

Thank you for the detailed explanation of the route. This exactly what I am looking for. I am keeping one day buffer but looking at all possibilities and trying to fit in 3 days, by stretching the 1st and 3rd day and comparatively less drive in the 2nd day (10-12 hrs). It will be great if you could help with some clarifications on the WB section. As I am planning to start early in the morning from Guwahati (at least by 4AM), I will take stock of things once I reach Siliguri (Fulbari) bypass on till which location shall we drive. On the Siliguri to Kolkata route thread, people have mentioned to complete that section in about 10-11 hours. I am taking about 7-8 hours for the Guwahati to Siliguri section. Now, I am also looking at going towards Durgapur and staying the night there to avoid Kolkata altogether and start day 2 around 6/6.30 and reach Vizag/Anakapalle and day 3 from there to Bangalore. This gives about 920 odd KMs for the first 2 days and 960KMs for the last day. Do let me know your feedback on the same.

The Siliguri-Kolkata section has improved much lately, but in order to bypass Kolkata we need to get off at Moregram before Berhampore, or drive till Krishnagar/ Barajaguli then STKK Road to Howrah though this does not completely bypass the Kolkata bound truck traffic, inevitable at either Dankuni or Dhulagori (only the Kolkata bound lanes are affected).

After Moregram till Kharagpur it is mostly 2 lane road. There are multiple options like Mallarpur - Siuri, Sainthia - Siuri, Bolpur - Illambazar etc. before joining at Durgapur then towards KGP. This stretch is best covered at day time. So considering an early start from Gauhati, ideally target at most Berhampore (800 km) other than Malda. Durgapur will be too far and can be stressful.

In terms of distance, it might only be 950 km till Vizag on Day 2, but until you reach Kharagpur (or cross Howrah completely if coming via Dankuni), the uncertainties will be many. So the distance cannot be evenly split; 1.5 days are required from Gauhati to reach the "fast" GQ.

KGP - Vizag (stay near bypass, city is 30+ kms from Anandapuram or Anakapalle, the two ends) - BLR is doable with early starts (RJY stretch can be crossed before office traffic). Or even KGP - RJY - BLR.

Basically the slow stretch is Moregram to KGP. Budet half day extra for this and rest is easy.

Travelled Dhola-Sadia bridge (Bhupen Hazarika Setu) to Kanyakumari in the first half of November on a madcap road-trip. That tale shall be told in a separate post.

Guwahati > Siliguri > Dalkhola is doable comfortably. Advice: DO NOT rely on NH 27 between Alipurduar and Dhupguri. Still under construction/diversions/simply dug up. I followed the trucks who use NH27>SH317>NH17>SH517 between Alipurduar and Dhupguri. Couple of sections are horrendous and will test human and machine. Still better than NH27 on this stretch. Dhupguri > Fulbari > Dalkhola had rain-damaged roads and sudden, massive and unexpected potholes in addition to the usual barriers around villages.

From Dalkhola, I stuck to NH12 all the way into Kolkata. First overnight halt was in Raigunj WB.

After the Dalkhola bypass, roads are mostly decent for 80kph+ speeds though some stretches are still to be widened to four-lanes. (Do not enter Malda, a mistake I made in broad daylight :Frustrati.)

Google maps tried to direct me on to Kalyani expressway, but for some reason, the approach to Kalyani expressway from NH12 and the exit outside Kolkata did not encourage me to use that route.

I struck to NH12 all the way to near the Netaji Subhashchandra Bose airport (45mins in traffic jam within the City of Joy) and the Nivedita Setu toll bridge from where I connected to NH16 (Kolkata-Chennai highway).

Past Kolkata, NH16 is mostly four-laned all the way to Chennai. Some stretches in Odisha up to Bhadrak are still under construction, but still drivable at a decent speed.

Post Cuttack, all the way up to Nellore, you can comfortably maintain higher speeds. Roads are well-marked and in good shape.

Did not head to Bengaluru from Vijaywada/Nellore, so cannot comment on that.

Suggestions:

1) Please be prepared for fog since you are heading out in December.

2) There are plenty of roadside 'AC room' hotels/motels on almost all the highways, that are perfectly fine for an overnight halt.

3) Ask your car mechanic how much should the tyre pressure be (including the loaded-car weight) for high speeds on pot-holed and rain-damaged highways. Wrong pressure at high speeds are dangerous.

4) DO NOT get stressed about different fuel prices in different states. On a 3,000km journey, the difference will, at the most, be a few hundred rupees.

5) While it is good to set up a schedule, PLEASE do not put yourself under any 'deadline' pressure.

Safe journey, enjoy the drive.

Thank you for th details, it'll definitely be helpful on my trip. Our plan is to start on 1st December (Sunday) early in the morning like before 4. I understand there is high chance of fog. I am originally from Assam and understand the dense fog situations we face in that side. However, from my relatives and co driver, I have understood that it is not very bad at this point (decent visibility) in regular hours (morning 6 till night) but not sure how it'll be during the early morning hours. Weather forcast says clear sky and pleasant weather. So, hoping that we will not face very dense fog and drivable conditions in this section. Also, I am assuming once we cross WB the fog situation will not be as bad. Please let me know if there are other areas where I need to worry about dense fog. Also, need some additional inputs on some of your pointers.


How long does it take to cover this distance? Though I am going with your suggestion #5 of not keeping a deadline, I am trying to understand if we could stretch to Kolkata (at least Kalyani) in 18-19 hours from Guwahati by starting early morning (at least by 4).

Based on input from other BHPians, mostly from Kolkata, I am planning to take the Kalyani expressway and stay near the Airport. Then use the Belghoroa expressway to connect to NH-16.

Thanks for the suggestions, completely agree on all your points.

The chance of fog after Kolar till you reach Chitoor is very high and is usually very dense. Would suggest you have yellow fog lamps and drive at a reasonable speed. Please be wary of speed bumps and the rare lane blockers kept by the police.

Invaluable inputs, gentlemen! Thank you :thumbs up

I am contemplating a similar drive sometime next year - Bangalore to Siliguri. While your posts answer most of my queries, I have a basic doubt - Kolkata is not on my itinerary, so is it worthwhile to completely avoid it by getting off NH16 at Kharagpur or Panskura and rejoining NH12 at Moregram or the likes? My apologies if it has been detailed in one of your posts and I missed it. Thanks in advance.

I am relying on the toll plaza time stamps for this:

1) Madanpur toll (after IIT Guwahati) to Barai toll (just before Raigunj, WB) was a 12 hour journey, inclusive of input and output breaks, traffic diversions and all other impediments. This was via the Jaladpara reserve in WB.

2) Barai toll to Jaladhulagori toll (after crossing Kolkata city) took me 10 hrs of drive-time. I took an overnight break in Raigunj.

Technically, one can do Guwahati-Kolkata in 24-odd hours, but I personally would NOT recommend it.

Also, my experience is that on average, I cover about 55-60km for each hour of drive time. Higher speed on one section is averaged out by breaks, diversions, traffic and other factors. Except for the Samruddhi highway and sections of my Kanyakumari-Bengaluru drive, I rarely could average anything over 50km per hour.

Drive safe.

Yes absolutely. No need to go towards Kolkata at all, you will easily waste 2 hours in Howrah trying to get into STKK road or NH12.

Take Kharagpur - Durgapur - Moregram. Siliguri can be done in a day easily from KGP.

Hi BHPians,
It’s been a while since I’ve visited this thread. The last time I drove the BLR-BBSR route was during the Covid period, and I’ve done this journey twice before (BLR to BBSR and back). Back then, the Mulbagal-Tirupati road had been newly relaid, and there were no toll booths. The Vizag bypass was under construction, with a lot of truck traffic. On both occasions, I drove from Bangalore to Vizag in a single day in my Polo 1.2P manual.

This time, I’ll be traveling again on December 20, driving my 2 year old Virtus GT. Here’s my plan:

Start on Friday afternoon around 4:00–4:30 PM after my child’s school ends and drive up to Srikalahasti for an overnight halt.
Visit the famous Shiva temple in Srikalahasti early the next morning (Day 2). I haven’t been to this temple before, so I’d appreciate information on how long the early morning darshan typically takes.
After the temple visit (around 8:00–9:00 AM), I plan to drive to Vizag, or if time permits, continue to Berhampur (my sister-in-law’s house). I’ll need suggestions for good places to stay near the Vizag bypass if I stop there.
On Day 3 (Sunday), I plan a relaxed drive to Bhubaneswar from either Vizag or Berhampur.
Looking forward to your advice and suggestions. Thanks!

I drove from Rajahmundry to Bangalore yesterday (after a long time) and I'm pleasantly surprised to notice two recent developments:

1. Stretch between Naidupeta to Tirupati is 90% completed though traffic is flowing in both directions on one half of the highway, it is pretty manageable compared to older days.

2. Bypass road of Chilakaluripeta is now open, saving considerable time going through the town.