[NPV]

Originally Posted by Midas

I'm wondering why everyone is describing Mysore Road (SH-17) as notorious, bad etc. I started following this thread very recently and couldn't get the context.

I drove through Mysore Road 5-6 times so far and found it to be okay. Is it because of the need for frequent overtakes? Probably my experiences were not during peak hours or I'm so much used to the very frustrating Bangalore traffic that anything else seems good.

To a large extent these are due to individual opinions and perceptions but it also seems that a large number of members on the forum did think Mysore road was painful , To each his own!
If you haven't found Mysore Road to be bad in 5-6 drives, you probably got plain lucky or you chose a great time to travel!
If you have a preference for the route, you may just want to continue with it.

Many folks here also get bored of the 4 lane roads over time and for want of better scenic, old-fashioned routes they use the Kanakapura route or other alternatives.

That said, in my personal experience especially during holidays and weekends, the entire route usually has mindless traffic like what we see inside Bangalore and I would try my level best to avoid that kind of traffic. Add lots of village traffic on 2 wheelers and bullock carts and you get the picture. The speed humps used to be a bane but now they're lesser in number and easier to tackle.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by Midas

I'm wondering why everyone is describing Mysore Road (SH-17) as notorious, bad etc.

Foremost is the lack of two-wheeler lane. So to overtake any 2 wheeler, you have to change over to fast lane. You will find plenty of two-wheeler riders in this stretch.
Secondly, it is 4 lane divided road. Since the traffic is high, any slow moving vehicle will hold up traffic, overtaking maneuvers requires planning. It must be at least 6 lane divided road with two wheeler lane.
Thirdly, the bypass for the towns are now themselves are as busy as city centers. With their myriad signals, speed breakers slow down the high way traffic.
Add to this mix is the regular traffic indiscipline seen on Indian roads, which makes everyone's blood boil. Note that driving during off peaks hours negates all these factors & driving is bliss.

This road is being upgraded to 6 lane, toll road. Hopefully, the travel times might improve then.

[mpksuhas]

The wait for wider road just got longer -

[perty]

Had a trip to Mysore last week and noticed that the road surface has become quite bad between Bangalore and Channapatna, especially in the direction towards Mysore. Be prepared for drivers suddenly swerving to avoid a bad patch.
Between Channapatna and Mysore, the surface is far better (could see new tar strips, so the bad patches might have been filled in)

[condor]

Plan to drive Bangalore to Mysore early morning. Is there fog at this time of the year ? If yes, till what time ?

[binand]

Originally Posted by condor

Plan to drive Bangalore to Mysore early morning. Is there fog at this time of the year ? If yes, till what time ?

Just arrived at Gundlupet CCD after starting at 4 AM. No fog at all.

[gkveda]

Planning a visit to Maddur this Sunday. Heard sometime back that Bangalore to Ramanagar stretch has some Road constructions going on and the vehicles would move at snail speed. Are these over now ? or is it still ON?

What is the better road to take to avoid?

[arighna.dutta]

Went to Mysore and back for a marriage on Tuesday this week. there were no constructions in progress.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by gkveda

Planning a visit to Maddur this Sunday. Heard sometime back that Bangalore to Ramanagar stretch has some Road constructions going on and the vehicles would move at snail speed. Are these over now ? or is it still ON?

Haven't heard of any "construction" on Bangalore-Ramnagaram stretch.
After Mysore, the Mysore-Nanjangud and Nanjangud-Gundlupet stretches were being widened and now most of that work is already complete, just pending opening of toll booths.

However, Maddur-Malavalli (road that connects the Mysore Road SH17/NH 275 to the NH 209 towards Kollegal and Bangalore) is still a work in progress section so keep that in mind in case you plan to return that way via Kanakapura.

[kala]

Originally Posted by gkveda

Planning a visit to Maddur this Sunday. Heard sometime back that Bangalore to Ramanagar stretch has some Road constructions going on and the vehicles would move at snail speed. Are these over now ? or is it still ON?

What is the better road to take to avoid?

Originally Posted by NPV

Haven't heard of any "construction" on Bangalore-Ramnagaram stretch.
After Mysore, the Mysore-Nanjangud and Nanjangud-Gundlupet stretches were being widened and now most of that work is already complete, just pending opening of toll booths.

However, Maddur-Malavalli (road that connects the Mysore Road SH17/NH 275 to the NH 209 towards Kollegal and Bangalore) is still a work in progress section so keep that in mind in case you plan to return that way via Kanakapura.

NH209 has some road work in progress between Art of Living Ashram and Kaggalipura. The return traffic towards Bangalore was being diverted via the BWSSB service road from Somanahalli (near APS Engg college) till the Ashram last week. There are also short stretches with road work just before Harohalli village and then at Halaguru village (between Kanakapura and Malavalli)

[sansvk]

Travelled to mysore this morning after a gap of 2 years. Left Indiranagar this morning at 9.30am and reached Mysore at 1 pm. Took nearly 1.5 hours to reach Bidadi and traffic was heavy upto Ramanagara. Post that the traffic thinned out. Return journey is on Tuesday.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by sansvk

Travelled to mysore this morning after a gap of 2 years. Left Indiranagar this morning at 9.30am and reached Mysore at 1 pm. Took nearly 1.5 hours to reach Bidadi and traffic was heavy upto Ramanagara. Post that the traffic thinned out. Return journey is on Tuesday.

Exactly ! In fact, We had tough time yesterday. Started from JP nagar at 7:30 AM and reached Bidadi at 9 AM

Lot of Road constructions happening right from Nayandana halli till almost Bidadi.

So, suggest to avoid this stretch. While coming back, we took Nice road from Mysore Road to Kanakapura Road and reached home

[sansvk]

Originally Posted by sansvk

Travelled to mysore this morning after a gap of 2 years. Left Indiranagar this morning at 9.30am and reached Mysore at 1 pm. Took nearly 1.5 hours to reach Bidadi and traffic was heavy upto Ramanagara. Post that the traffic thinned out. Return journey is on Tuesday.

Returned from Mysore this afternoon. Being a week day, traffic was sparse and it was a relaxed drive. Was able to reach Kengeri well within 2 hours and it further took an hour to reach Indiranagar. On the way back noticed that some patch work was being done on the lanes towards Mysore near Channapatna.

[itwasntme]

Guys, need to leave for Mysore at 4 p.m. on a Friday from Bangalore Airport.

Google is showing around 4 hours via the usual BLR-Mysore highway but also showing an alternative NH 150A via Kunigal and Srirangapatna. Any ideas on this route?

I want to avoid that hideous Friday traffic on the BLR-Mysore highway.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Google is showing around 4 hours via the usual BLR-Mysore highway but also showing an alternative NH 150A via Kunigal and Srirangapatna. Any ideas on this route?

That should be the route via Bellur Cross (just after Kunigal on the Bangalore-Mangalore highway) and leads to Srirangapatna. I think road is fine, barring some speed breakers at regular intervals.

The other option is to go via Kanakapura-Malavalli-Bannur which joins the Mysore Ring road.

Now, from the Bangalore Airport side, it is probably easier to reach the Nelamangala side by taking the NH 207, right ?