[mayankjha1806]

Just completed BLR-HYD, in my fading memory it used to take 7hours, but today it took 8:30 hours, dont know why. The traffic did not seem much, FastTAG helped (But not much), as some FastTAG lanes were longer . Today we start for Raipur, Google says its 13 long hours, keeping fingers crossed.

[kittigadu]

Not exactly from Bangalore but, i have travelled to Raipur form Hyderabad non-stop on 28th July.

Took the standard route of Hyd-Adilabad-Nagpur-Rajnandgaon-Raipur. Google maps told me that it would take 13-14 hrs and it did take that much. I hate potholes and this road is full of them once you cross Adilabad, the drive gets tiring. Not enjoyable post you cross Telangana border.

On the Telangana side, I was caught by the speed gun and was fined Rs.1038 which was promptly sent to me by SMS. I was very particular about the speed, but somewhere near Dichpally, i got a message that the speed limit was 90kmph and I was doing 92kmph with a photo proof.

On the MH side, the roads are not laid flat and one would get tired too quickly. Too much undulation on the road surface and have to look out for potholes. Some are dangerously deep.

On The Chattisgarh side, roads are slightly better than MH but the journey form Durg to Raipur is full of diversions and local traffic.


Overall, i would rate it as just OK'ish. I was cursing myself for not flying due to fear of covid.

-Krishna

[Rony2207]

Bangalore to Jharsugda – deviation from usual NH44 after Hyderabad:

We started our road trip from Bangalore to Jharsuguda, taking the Bangalore to Hyderabad highway. Starting early in the morning, it took us a total of 8 hours to reach our destination in Hyderabad, specifically the Hi-tech city. We stayed at a pet-friendly AirBnb. Our main goal was to indulge in the local cuisine, especially the famous biriyani and delectable non-vegetarian dishes.
The next leg of our journey began early in the morning as we set our sights on Rajnandgaon. Following the SH-1 route via Karimnagar, NH-363, NH-353B, NH-930, NH-353C, and finally NH-53, we arrived in Rajnandgaon by 4 PM. The highways in Telangana, particularly SH-1 and NH-363, impressed us with their well-maintained and smooth roads, offering a delightful driving experience.

One notable stretch of our travel was from Chandrapur to Gadchiroli, where we traveled on NH930, a scenic two-lane road passing through dense forests. The refreshing air and picturesque views made the journey incredibly relaxing. However, once we crossed into Maharashtra, we encountered roads that left much to be desired, with numerous potholes along the way.
It is advisable to carry snacks and water during the journey, as we found limited family-friendly dhabas or restaurants unless we passed through towns or cities along the route. As expected, we encountered heavy traffic upon joining NH-53. For our overnight stay in Rajnandgaon, we chose Hotel Panchsheel Prime, a pet-friendly accommodation conveniently located near the railway station. Despite being vegetarian, the hotel's restaurant surprised us with exceptionally tasty food, satisfying our usually non-vegetarian taste buds.

The next day, we resumed our journey by starting early in the morning and reached Jharsuguda by 10:30 AM.

Note:

The road between Durg and Raipur left much to be desired, with a multitude of diversions that made it feel like an off-roading experience. The condition of the road was disappointing, with sudden bumps, uneven surfaces, and several potholes. However, once we crossed Raipur, there was a noticeable improvement in the quality of the National Highway, providing us with a smooth and pleasant ride all the way to Sambalpur.

From Sambalpur to Jharsuguda, however, our perception of what an expressway should be was challenged. The Biju Expressway in this stretch was in a state of shambles, making us question the definition of an expressway. Additionally, we were surprised to find that they did not have Fastag facilities, resulting in a tedious 15-minute wait at toll booths, surrounded by numerous trucks and dumpers.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Rony2207

Following the SH-1 route via Karimnagar, NH-363, NH-353B, NH-930, NH-353C, and finally NH-53, we arrived in Rajnandgaon by 4 PM.

Could you the towns and section wise condition? Its not easy to recognize from the highway numbers.

The SH1 stretch from Hyderabad to Ramagundam is known completed 4-lane.

I remember Sirpur-Kagaznagar-Gadchiroli was a disastrous no road section for about 100 km in the MH side in 2017.

The Mandamarri-Mancherial-Chandarpur section was being 4-laned in 2021 and was largely incomplete at that time. I'd be surprised if its fully done now.

BTW, does this route hold any advantage over the Hyderabad-Nagpur-Raipur route?

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Rony2207

Bangalore to Jharsugda – deviation from usual NH44 after Hyderabad

Any specific reason for taking this alternate route as opposed to the conventional (and faster) HYD - NGP - RPR route?

Originally Posted by narayans80

BTW, does this route hold any advantage over the Hyderabad-Nagpur-Raipur route?

Precisely my query to the OP

On another note, have done Bangalore - Hyderabad - Nagpur - Raipur in one stretch, in my "younger" days. Left at 3 am-ish and was at Raipur around 9 pm! Was driving the "sofa on wheels" aka Tata Safari DiCOR - I struggle to find a car in today's crop which can come close to those comfort levels!

[Rony2207]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Could you the towns and section wise condition? Its not easy to recognize from the highway numbers.

Take Hyderabad - Mancherial Hwy: Karimnagar - Mancherial - Asifabad - Ballarpur, NH 363 and NH 930D to Chandrapur

Continue on NH930. Chandrapur - Mul - Saoli - Gadchiroli

Take NH353C, Armori-Bhandara Hwy: Armori - Wadsa - Sakoli. Turn right on NH53 to Mumbai - Kolkata Hwy for Rajnandgaon

Originally Posted by narayans80

The Mandamarri-Mancherial-Chandarpur section was being 4-laned in 2021 and was largely incomplete at that time. I'd be surprised if its fully done now.

Telangana side is very nice and its 4 lane road in Telangana. Maharashtra side is okayish but 2 lane

Originally Posted by narayans80

BTW, does this route hold any advantage over the Hyderabad-Nagpur-Raipur route?

This was the first time we took this route and when we checked in google maps before starting from Hyderabad - it was showing us 1 hr less than conventional NH44 route as well as around 800 something less in tolls. We thought - why not

Moderator Note: Please use "Edit" or "Multiquote" options to add to an existing post, and avoid creating multiple back to back posts.

[Rony2207]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

On another note, have done Bangalore - Hyderabad - Nagpur - Raipur in one stretch, in my "younger" days. Left at 3 am-ish and was at Raipur around 9 pm! Was driving the "sofa on wheels" aka Tata Safari DiCOR - I struggle to find a car in today's crop which can come close to those comfort levels!

That's a good amount of driving. I have driven in 1 stretch till Nagpur from Bangalore. Started from Bangalore at 330 AM and reached Nagpur hotel (near Center Point School, Katol road) by 5ish PM. Took NH44 at that time. Done on another car from Tata's stable - Nexon

[gajadonga]

I had been to Raipur from Hyderabad and back 3weeks back .
Onward journey was through Nagpur- Seoni- Kanha tiger reserve- Raipur.
My intention was to go through Kanha tiger reserve for the Safari.

The return was Raipur - Chitrakote waterfalls near Jagdalpur from there to Dantewada to see the Dholkal Ganesha trek and return to Hyderabad.

Raipur to Dhamtari is four laned one two bridge construction going on with deviations on the road

Dhamtari -Kanker two lane roads good condition. Kanker Bypass in Progress

Kanker - Keshkal Roads are not that good but manageble with occasional potholes.Kondagav to Keshkal Ghat is narrow and the hairpin bends have very poor surface and any lorry breakdowns will significantly delay the traffic.

Keshkal -Bhanpur - Chitrakote waterfall Excellent two lane highway with shoulders on either side upto Bhanpur and from there to Chitrakote dual lane highway in good condition.

Chitakote -Basur -Geedam- Dantewada- Faraspal. Excellent single road passing through dense forest and nil traffic. Dolkal Ganesha trek is from Faraspal.

Faraspal- Suroki- Bijapur - Bhopalpatnam .Faraspal to Surokhi is single road.
Surokhi to Bhopalpatnam Excellent highway newly tarred passing through forest and almost nil traffic.

Bhopalpatnam - Eturnagaram Excellent roads dual lane highway some potholes close to the Chattisgarh and Telangana border for about 5 to 6 kms.

Eturnagaram- Pasara Good roads dual lane highway but without shoulders overtaking should be extremely careful

Pasara- Hyderabad Pasara to Warangal good dual lane highway.From Atmakur to Warangal four laning is going on with plenty of deviations.
Warangal has an excellent bypass and there after is good four lane to Hyderabad