[advaitlele]

Thanks HVK sir and Rajesh.

Yes, as recently as last week my father in law was stuck near that (in)famous flyover construction on the highway, and he took the same route of Golden Bridge. Its a dynamic decision. Let me hope there is no jam when I am there

[Raja]

There are many toll booths between Gujarat Border and Baroda.
Can you pay one large amount and keep showing the receipt or do you have to always buy new tickets at each toll booth?

(What is the landmark to take the Golden Bridge before Ankleshwar to prevent getting stuck on the main highway bridge?)

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Raja

There are many toll booths between Gujarat Border and Baroda.
Can you pay one large amount and keep showing the receipt or do you have to always buy new tickets at each toll booth?

(What is the landmark to take the Golden Bridge before Ankleshwar to prevent getting stuck on the main highway bridge?)

No, you have to pay toll at each toll both, no provision to pay one toll for all.

You enter Ankleshwar town at the first point where it is marked - below a flyover, and keep going straight through Ankleshwar town to cross Narmada on Golden Bridge. At the other end is Bharuch town - first comes the railway station - keep going straight - beyond the round after the station - for over a km when you come to a large T junction where you must turn right to reach NH8 again.

[athanedar]

I am starting my udaipur trip from Andheri saki naka.
Planning to start at 5:00 am on Sunday. Will there be huge truck traffic at that time near Ghodbunder ?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by athanedar

I am starting my udaipur trip from Andheri saki naka.
Planning to start at 5:00 am on Sunday. Will there be huge truck traffic at that time near Ghodbunder ?

That time should be fine, traffic would have lessened by the time you get there.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by advaitlele

Dear All,

I am starting for my Diwali vacation this Friday. for the first time, I would be starting in the afternoon as I have to be home on Saturday morning.

Hope you reached safely.
Please provide an update on the Ghodbunder - Surat road.
I am starting from Pune on 27th at 4 AM.

Chewbacca

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Hope you reached safely.
Please provide an update on the Ghodbunder - Surat road.
I am starting from Pune on 27th at 4 AM.

Chewbacca

Road conditions fine. By the time you reach Ghodbunder (by 7 am), truck traffic should have lessened.

[athanedar]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Hope you reached safely.
Please provide an update on the Ghodbunder - Surat road.
I am starting from Pune on 27th at 4 AM.

Chewbacca

just traveled yesterday to Ahmedabad from andheri. Took me 9.5 hours with sedate driving. Total break taken was about 1.5 hr. Crossed ghodbunder around 6 am. Though there was no traffic jam as such but truck traffic is too heavy which slows you down considerably. I could only maintain 50 km per hour till well inside Gujrat.
I took the golden bridge at ankaleshwar. No traffic there.
I was really dismayed by the indiscipline of slow trucks driving in fast lane of the highway. I had to change lanes hundreds of times to overtake.

[advaitlele]

Hi All,

As a lazy member I am late to quote the details here. Well, you ought to get lazy when you are home. Here are the vital statistics
Start from home - 2.45pm
Start of exp way - 3pm
1st Toll plaza - 3.15pm
Toll road end - 3.45pm
Exp way end - 4.05pm
Ghodbunder rd -5.05pm
Fountain hotel - 5.30pm
Silver miles for early dinner - 6.20pm (it was quite a bit early, though) we came non-stop till here. total distance 215 km from near kalewadi phata, Pune to here.

start from Silvermiles - 7.25pm
Pass Vapi Mcdonalds - 8.35pm
Reach the (in)famous bridge between Bharuch and Ankleshwar - 11.25pm, the bridge was just about 2kms further up and we wasted 1 hour here.
cross the bridge and start again - 12.25am
home sweet home - 1.20am

Total distance - approx. 570 km home to home.
Total toll paid - 530 approx.
Avg fuel consumption - around 15kmpl i.e. total cost approx. 2700.

Road condition:
excellent througout. I had many doubts about the condition on Vashi-Manor stretch, but it was quite good, very less traffic, and good roads.

Had it not been for Bharuch bridge traffic jam, total of 570 km would have been covered in about 9 hours. And Throughout I did not speed more than 110kmph.


I am starting back tomorrow early morning. Will post details of return journey. Hopefully, it would be as smooth as it was last week.

Planning to start early - around 4am from Vadodara, first halt at McD at Vapi for breakfast and then for early lunch at Fountain hotel - Ghodbunder road.

[advaitlele]

Folks,

here is the update for my yesterday's travel back to Pune
5.00am - start from home
6.00am - bharuch toll plaza
6.55am - surat
7.50am - valsad
breakfast at sugar n spice and petrol at adjoining BP pump. This is a good facility as you have refuel (yourself and your car both ) as its right between the highway and you can approach from the road to mumbai and to vadodara. food is good and toilets clean.
9.10am - start after breakfast
9.45am - talasari
10.45am - manor
11.45am - fountain hotel, ghodbunder road.
quick stop here for light snacks and tea.
12.05 - start
12.15 - thane. stuck in traffic jam and slow moving traffic due to fly-over construction.
1.30pm - start at exp. way
2.00pm - khopoli
3.00pm - home.

Total kms - approx. 560 home to home
Total toll - approx. 530 rs.
Total fuel - approx. 35 lts. @ 70rs = 2450. avg 16kmpl. This was amazingly good considering my Indica was fully loaded with three big bags, a small coffee table and four folding chairs set.
Total time : 10 hours including breaks. that makes average 56 kmph with breaks; and approx. 70 kmph excluding breaks.

I saw three accidents in a span of abt 100 kms. between the Surat-Vapi stretch. Two of them seemed to be near fatal. Why those morons drive so fast and carelessly? I had seen so many Omni taxis being driven as if they were racing against Vettels and Buttons. and each Omni with a capacity of 8 had at least 10 people. That particular taxi overtook my from left some 10 or 15 mins back and just before Valsad petrol pump I saw it in head-on collission with front doors completely vanished and people on the road. Luckily passengers were safe and help was available when I reached the spot.

Second instance was a poor biker - must have slipped before Manor - under construction fly over - and had several body injury with bleeding face. I dont know how many accidnetns adn repeat message will inculcate habit of riding with helmet.

I thanked for making my journey safe and bringing me back to home and slept whole evening and night.

[Sandy28]

I drove Ahmedabad - Mumbai on 26th Oct night (started at 10 pm, reached Andheri at 6 am) and returned on 30th Oct (started at 10 am from Andheri and reached Abad at 9 pm including few hours break at Vadodara). The route is absolutely fine though it would slow you down between Vapi and Ghodbundar due to over bridge work. But still nothing to worry. Past Vapi, the road is heavenly all the way till Ahmedabad. The Bharuch bridge is a gamble but I have been lucky so far. Ankleshwar route is an option but could slow you down considerably due to the city trafic.

Vithal Kamat (www.vithalkamats.com) near Manor on NH8 is a great place - great food, clean rest rooms, value for money.

[suniladhiya]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

No need to touch Vashi.
Turn off at Turbhe (left goes to Vashi/Bombay), go via Khopar Khairne, Gansali, Airoli, then turn off towards Mulund (don't take the straight to Thane, messy road), cross the Airoli bridge to EEH, then go all the way on EEH via Thane's outskirts to Ghodbunder Road.

I plan to drive to Baroda tentatively in January first week. The route given by Dr.Kumar is fairly clear. However, I request advice/ guidance on the following. I have never driven on this stretch before.

(a) We plan to leave Pune around 7 a.m. and reach Baroda by evening - how many hours should this take, based on HVK's recommended route, traffic density etc.

(b) Has the 6-laning of the Dahisar-Surat sector been completed or is it still in progress ?

(c) We plan to halt overnight at Baroda on Day 1. Can anyone suggest a good hotel near the highway? Google maps shows Ginger Hotel which seems to be quite close to the highway. Alternative suggestions welcome.

(d) On Day 2, we have to attend a religious programme at a place called Kuber Bhandari Mahadev temple in a village called Karnali near Chanod, which is said to be about 60 kms from Baroda. Any suggestions on the best route to be taken to reach this place?

(e) On Day 2 evening, we would either return to our hotel in Baroda and proceed to Ahmedabad next morning via NE-1, since we have to meet some relations in Ahmedabad. Is this a good plan, or does it make sense to proceed straight from Karnali towards Ahmedabad. In the latter case, what would be the route to take from Karnali to reach NE-1 ?

(f) At Ahmedabad, also we would like to stay at a good hotel near the highway on Day 3. Any suggestions on this count? Ginger Ahmedabad seems to be somewhat in the interior of the city.

(g)On Day 4 the plan would be to leave early morning around 6.00 a.m. and hope to reach Pune before dark. Is this feasible, or is a night halt preferable on the way?

Awaiting advice and suggestions from all the experts.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by suniladhiya

(a) We plan to leave Pune around 7 a.m. and reach Baroda by evening - how many hours should this take, based on HVK's recommended route, traffic density etc.

Pune 7 am - Thane 10 am (worst case scenario) - Vapi 130 pm - Surat 400 pm (assuming 1 hour lunch halt) - Baroda 600 pm.

(b) Has the 6-laning of the Dahisar-Surat sector been completed or is it still in progress ?

No, still going on. Many sections are done, but several flyovers are under construction. Expect choke-ups near Vasai & Vapi. Road condition is good.

(c) We plan to halt overnight at Baroda on Day 1. Can anyone suggest a good hotel near the highway? Google maps shows Ginger Hotel which seems to be quite close to the highway. Alternative suggestions welcome.

Hotel Plazio on the bypass itself is a good place to stay. Ginger is in the Fatehganj area which has many hotels. Getting there is not difficult - take the last entry point to Baroda city (north side) - after crossing Hotel Plazio, just before A'bad expressway starts - into the city, and then take the right at the first big junction (with a round) towards Fatehganj.

(d) On Day 2, we have to attend a religious programme at a place called Kuber Bhandari Mahadev temple in a village called Karnali near Chanod, which is said to be about 60 kms from Baroda. Any suggestions on the best route to be taken to reach this place?

I ran a Google search and find that it is south east of Baroda, in the same alignment as Bharuch. YOu have to get back onto the Baroda bypass towards Surat and take the left turn at the NEXT flyover junction after Waghodia junction (well-known) - I have no idea what the name of the junction is. From there, as you have explained, you go via Dabhoi to Chanod.

(e) On Day 2 evening, we would either return to our hotel in Baroda and proceed to Ahmedabad next morning via NE-1, since we have to meet some relations in Ahmedabad. Is this a good plan, or does it make sense to proceed straight from Karnali towards Ahmedabad. In the latter case, what would be the route to take from Karnali to reach NE-1 ?

Return to Baroda bypass, continue north and go to A'bad via expressway.

(f) At Ahmedabad, also we would like to stay at a good hotel near the highway on Day 3. Any suggestions on this count? Ginger Ahmedabad seems to be somewhat in the interior of the city.

No good hotels on Sardar Patel Ring Road, but you can get some on and off the SG HIghway towards Gandhinagar.

(g)On Day 4 the plan would be to leave early morning around 6.00 a.m. and hope to reach Pune before dark. Is this feasible, or is a night halt preferable on the way?

Comfortable drive.

Remember to avoid the jams at River Narmada Bridge in Bharuch-Ankleshwar

[suniladhiya]

@Kumar: As usual, you are the guardian angel of all us highway travellers. Explicit directions and amazing geographical sense, I never fail to admire. Many thanks sir.

[suniladhiya]

@ Kumar: You have advised to go by Golden Gate Bridge which connects Ankleshwar to Bharuch, in order to avoid traffic jams on the new bridge.

Forgive my ignorance, but are the traffic jams on the new bridge because its under construction, or is this a standard feature?

Secondly, you have advised to enter Bharuch town via Golden Gate Bridge and go past the Bharuch Railway Station till you come to a T-Junction at which a right turn to be taken towards NH8. As per google maps, is this road the one that goes past JP Arts and Science College, MK College of Commerce and KJ Polytechnic College (all on RHS) and then take the next right turn towards NH8 ? And after the right turn, do you pass ABC Bearings Ltd on the RHS, and then Narmada Golf Links on LHS, on the way to NH8 ?

Finally, on the return from Bharuch side, some of the members have advised to go on the wrong side of the road and follow the local cars onto the Golden Bridge. How does this work and where does one cut through the median on NH8 in order to enter Bharuch town and onto the Golden Bridge ? I am confused because I dont see any underpass at the junction of the NH8 with the Narmada Golf Links Road, and I dont see how you can get on the wrong side of the NH?

Would greatly appreciate your detailed inputs on the above.