[rajcs]

Originally Posted by sahil624

Hi, thanks for your detailed update. I too am planning to travel from Vadodara to Delhi in May first week. However, Google Maps shows a total time close to 16 hours to reach Delhi while you mentioned around 14 hours. Does your time include breaks as well? Any chance this can be covered in 13 hours?

Thanks.

Attachment 2595177

My travel time of 14 hrs was from Alkapuri, Vadodara to Faridabad entry. This included all stops and breaks; Food stops, fuel stops, election related police check post stops etc. I also had to stop a couple of times additionally for some issues with a loose wheel arch trim of my car. And I kept precisely within the speed limits. No traffic fines at all

13 hrs till outskirts of Delhi (Gurgaon / Faridabad) is feasible provided you start sufficiently early. I started at 4 AM and reached Faridabad exit of DND-KMP link at 6PM. Starting early beats peak traffic at both ends.

[sahil624]

Hi all, any decent place to stay near Thandla interchange? I can see MPT hotel at Jhabua but it is around 1 hour from Thandla interchange.

Originally Posted by narayans80

You must have joined NH52 at Udpura. There is one more connecting to Jhalawar bypass which is better.

Hi, are you suggesting Bhanpura -> Julmi -> Suket to join NH52 after getting down from NE4 at Bhanpura interchange?

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by sahil624

Hi, are you suggesting Bhanpura -> Julmi -> Suket to join NH52 after getting down from NE4 at Bhanpura interchange?

I meant this.

Hi all, any decent place to stay near Thandla interchange? I can see MPT hotel at Jhabua but it is around 1 hour from Thandla interchange.

I won't advise sundown travel on Indore-Godhra stretch. Either stay at Indore/Ratlam/Dhar or Baroda/Godhra

[sahil624]

Originally Posted by narayans80

I won't advise sundown travel on Indore-Godhra stretch. Either stay at Indore/Ratlam/Dhar or Baroda/Godhra

Staying at Jhabua is also not recommended? in case one reaches before sunset? Because staying at Vadodara means will have to drive for close to 15 hours to reach Delhi the next day.

Also, as per this video, the Godhra interchange has been completed since last two months but still has not been opened for public. Any idea whether we can use this stretch?

https://youtu.be/-2ChFofI8Vg?si=k4gkCMzWC5H_nhYi

[Roan J]

Originally Posted by sahil624

Hi all, any decent place to stay near Thandla interchange? I can see MPT hotel at Jhabua but it is around 1 hour from Thandla interchange.

In October 2023, I had stayed at Om Hotel and Restaurant in Thandla. Its about 10 km when you exit NE4 at Thandla. From the exit, its a narrow road just before the hotel. Decent hotel, I paid Rs 1600 for a double room with single occupancy. They charge about Rs 200-300 extra if you want to use the AC. They had a decent restaurant where I had dinner.

[Roan J]

Contact details for Om Residency at Thandla

[mercedised]

Stone Pelting incidents on rise in Thandla stretch. Please check the news, exercise caution and try to avoid late night travel on this stretch.

https://dainik-b.in/hzylDZnscJb

https://www.freepressjournal.in/amp/...bai-expressway

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by mercedised

Stone Pelting incidents on rise in Thandla stretch. Please check the news, exercise caution and try to avoid late night travel on this stretch.

Sad state of affairs. But who will save from the police harassment once they are employed there?

[sahil624]

Originally Posted by mercedised

Stone Pelting incidents on rise in Thandla stretch. Please check the news, exercise caution and try to avoid late night travel on this stretch.

https://dainik-b.in/hzylDZnscJb

https://www.freepressjournal.in/amp/...bai-expressway

Thanks for this information. I am due to travel on the MP side of Delhi Mumbai Expressway this Sunday. However, I will be traveling during day time.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by mercedised

Stone Pelting incidents on rise in Thandla stretch. Please check the news, exercise caution and try to avoid late night travel on this stretch.

Dahod-Jhabua was notorious for dacoity in the yesteryears. There were stray incidents reported in the NH47 stretch after the 4-lane was opened up in 2019. I would drive during the day in this section.

Besides for Bombay, it makes sense to take the Nasik-Dhule-Dhamnod-Manpur-Lebad-Ratlam-DME than taking the DME at Thandla.

[sahil624]

Hi all, I completed my journey from Mumbai to Delhi in two parts on 4th and 5th May 2024. I zeroed on the following route after taking inputs here:

Mumbai - Nashik - Dhule - Khalghat (stayed here overnight at hotel on NH52) - Ratlam - DME (from Nayapur toll)- Bhanpura interchange (approx 137 kms on DME) - Rajpura - Julmi - Suket - Bundi - Hindoli - Nainwa - Uniara - Kushtala toll (DME) - Sohna - Sarojini Nagar

My observations:
1. Mumbai to Nashik took me almost 5 hours with half hour break at McDonalds at Shahapur. There was huge traffic block 20 kms before Shahapura with vehicle stationary for 30 minutes. This I faced everytime irrespective of the time I leave. This time I left Navi Mumbai at 9:30 and earlier when I left at 6 AM also I faced the issue.

2. The MP side of DME was desolated when I traveled on it from around 10 AM on Saturday. Nearby people are riding on bikes on this expressway. At one point, Tractor was being driven on the wrong side in the overtaking lane . So one has to be really focussed while driving on this stretch.

3. The connecting road to NH52 from Bhanpura interchange is okayish single lane.

4. Now coming to DME from Kushtala to Sohna stretch. There is decent amount of truck traffic already on this stretch especially from Lalsot to Sohna. Already, trucks are not following lane discipline. They are traveling in overtaking lane and the lane next to it which was very sad to see. If this continues, it won’t take much time for this stretch to become like old Delhi-Jaipur highway.

5. Many people from nearby villages were seen crossing this particular stretch from Lalsot to Sohna. Also, I saw children playing near the divider area. Many houses were also visible on this part of the expressway with easy access to the NE4 (at least by foot). I don’t know how the land acquisition happened for Rajasthan side of NE4 but it doesn’t feel like Expressway at all!! The surface was, however, better than MP side of expressway.

6. Good thing is Lalsot to Sohna part of the DME has lots of rest stops functional now. I saw Mc Donalds, Starbucks, Burger Farm, a few Dhabas.

[TSIched'Out]

Originally Posted by sahil624

Hi all, I completed my journey from Mumbai to Delhi in two parts on 4th and 5th May 2024. I zeroed on the following route after taking inputs here:

Attachment 2603526

Hi Sahil,

I am planning trip from Mumbai to Delhi in the first week of June. Planning to take Nashik, Dhule, Ratlam and DME route instead of usual route through Gujarat. Will be traveling with a driver. Planning night halt at Ratlam due to the availability of some decent hotel options

1. You mentioned it took you 5 hours to reach Nashik from Navi Mumbai for 930am start. How much time it took you in total on day one and for how long did you stop for food etc. Also what time did you leave on Day2, how much time it took you to SN and for how long did you stop for food etc?

2. My plan is as follows. Please provide your inputs:
Day 1:
Leave around 7am (cant leave early) from Bandra, with Breakfast at Shahpur around 9am. Please suggest any hygienic places for lunch en-route. Need not be lavish but should be hygienic.
How was the hotel at Khalghat (and what’s the name and tariff). I don’t want to drive post sunset so if Ratlam is not doable then I may stop at Khalghat. Was it a clean hotel with hygienic food?

Day 2:
Leave Early, around 6am from Khalghat/Ratlam as the case maybe. Please suggest options for breakfast and Lunch en-route which are 4-5 hours apart where I can get hygienic food.

3. Did you fully follow Googlemaps or do we need to be mindful of any hacks?

Thanks a lot!

[shashant]

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

Day 2:
Leave Early, around 6am from Khalghat/Ratlam as the case maybe. Please suggest options for breakfast and Lunch en-route which are 4-5 hours apart where I can get hygienic food.

I stopped here in last week of April.. good and clean place for a break.

Shared route
From Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh 457001 to Surya Mahal, FLY OVER , ON, NH-52 NARAYANI NAGAR, Jaipur - Kota Rd, near DEOLI, HIGHWAY, Deoli, Rajasthan 304804 via NE 4.

5 hr 38 min (349*km)
For the best route in current traffic visit https://maps.app.goo.gl/7AnRjq8iQ1FuaWv49

[sahil624]

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

Hi Sahil,

1. You mentioned it took you 5 hours to reach Nashik from Navi Mumbai for 930am start. How much time it took you in total on day one and for how long did you stop for food etc. Also what time did you leave on Day2, how much time it took you to SN and for how long did you stop for food etc?

So I started around 9:30 AM and drove to Khalghat at around 10 PM. For food I stopped for around 1.5 hours in total at three stops.

Shahapur
Joshi vadewale a few kms after Shahapur
Hotel Aggarwal Midway at Sendhwa for dinner

I left day 2 at around 6:45 AM.

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

2. My plan is as follows. Please provide your inputs:
Day 1:
Leave around 7am (cant leave early) from Bandra, with Breakfast at Shahpur around 9am. Please suggest any hygienic places for lunch en-route. Need not be lavish but should be hygienic.
How was the hotel at Khalghat (and what’s the name and tariff). I don’t want to drive post sunset so if Ratlam is not doable then I may stop at Khalghat. Was it a clean hotel with hygienic food?

I did not have lunch and for dinner I have mentioned the place above. It was a decent place.
At Khalghat I stayed at ‘Hindu Famous hotel’ and it was strictly average. I just needed a place to sleep and couldn’t go any further so stopped here as it was right on the highway. And it was not a planned stop as I was supposed to reach Ratlam on Day 1. The tariff was 1800 per night. Also, I didn’t have any food here.

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

Day 2:
Leave Early, around 6am from Khalghat/Ratlam as the case maybe. Please suggest options for breakfast and Lunch en-route which are 4-5 hours apart where I can get hygienic food.

I had a tough time finding breakfast in MP early in the morning as every decent place was supposed to open after 10 AM, so I continued with my journey. For lunch you may try SASA resort on highway just before Kota.

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

3. Did you fully follow Googlemaps or do we need to be mindful of any hacks?

Thanks a lot!

After exiting MP side of Delhi Mumbai Expressway at Bhanpura exchange, I took road through Julmi to join NH52. Also, I joined Kushtala toll of DME by traveling via Bundi-Uniara which was not default option on Google Maps.

[Roan J]

I have been keenly following progress on DME since last year when I first drove on it. I've driven the Sohna-Lalsot and Bhanpura-Thandla sections in end 2023. I'm keenly following various Youtube Vlogs monitoring the progress. Saw one from May 2023 which suggests that work on the stretch between Sawai Madhopur interchange and Laban interchange is very slow. There are several high tension lines to be moved and bridges to be completed. The vlog expects that it may be several months or more for this section to be ready. My assessment is that Sawai Madhopur-Kota stretch is not likely to open officially this year. From other vlogs, I sense that the DME between Sohna and Surat could be fully opened earliest by mid-2025. And then to Amane (where it links with the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway) probably by end 2025 (being optimistic). And then to JNPT is anybody's guess (full alignment of the last section yet to be finalised). Fuel pumps and complete operationalisation of all the rest and service areas could take years or a decade more. By then, trucks will own the 120 kmph and overtaking lanes and impose speed limits of 50-60 while cars settle into a zigzaging mode between trucks in these lanes. Wrong side driving will be rampant - currently there are intermittent instances of oncoming traffic on the left lane. Three months back, while coming from Jaipur and on a right bend after the exit toll, there was this oncoming car using the overtaking lane. All in all, we will be back to the existing NH48 driving experience, but a lot more dangerous given the four lane width and 120 kmph speed limit. Would love to be proved wrong, though!