[tp_dominator]

Completely agree about the pathetic state of affairs on the Pune - Satara stretch. I am also a victim of the dreaded stetch and had a tyre burst due to a pothole on one of the umpteen service roads around the under construction flyovers in December 2019. I was following a truck (big mistake!) due to the heavy traffic and was not able to spot it in time. It must have been such a huge crater to incur such damage but then there are many such craters on this stretch.

I travel quite frequently to Kolhapur due to my work and have been very careful now. I am constantly scanning for potholes while driving and in the process also maintain about 2 cars distance from the vehicle in front. It has so far helped me avoid huge craters but I still fear the time when I will not be able to spot one especially while returning in the night. There is a particular stretch just before Satara which is completely broken but it has been fixed now somewhat.

Also, I feel the Pune - Bangalore bypass (Katraj - Dehu Road bypass) deserves a special mention too here. Every year after rains, it is a nightmare to drive on. There are many potholes this time around too and there is this particular huge pothole while going towards Katraj just opposite the Akoya Skoda showroom at Baner which has not been fixed yet and I have seen many cars with busted tyres due to this. There was another huge crater but it has been filled now just before the Bavdhan exit but the road is not great. Couple that with the flyover construction at Chandani chowk and pretty much unruly road behavior till Katraj, folks coming from Mumbai and going in this direction might better be really careful since this stretch only can jeopardize their journeys, leave alone the road till Satara.

I just hope for a better future where we will see these roads in a better state, but till then only cautious driving will be our savior. I don't think this March 2021 deadline will be met at all looking at the state of affairs currently.

[Bigzero]

I have been suffering this stretch once or sometimes twice a year over the last 10 years, as driving is my primary mode of transport for my vacation trips to my home state, Kerala. I made the last trip in Dec 2019, and I am not sure when I will make the next one - but updates like this make my heart sink...

I agree with many posters, as I have driven out of MH in many directions into other states, and in most cases one sees the road quality improving once you cross the border. Nowhere it is as drastic as in the Kagal-Belgaum section.

My tactic of leaving very early (between 4 am and 5 am ) has worked reasonably well in my earlier trips, and I had observed that the place I stop for lunch has come earlier and earlier as the years progressed. I remember stopping at Davanegere for lunch and reaching mysore by sunset years back, it no longer feels a reasonable target, considering the slow progress in the first 250 km. I am not a very aggressive driver, and try to maintain a steady speed most of the time.

I remember hitting Sai Food court at 8.45 am after a 5.15 PM start in Dec 19. Earlier, we used to stop somewhere around Nippani (e.g. Amar) for breakfast.

The worst part is when you return, especially when you keep a long days drive planned for the last leg ( mine is usually from Mysore or Hassan ). Its a pain to hit Kolhapur sometime in the afternoon and then suffer the remaining journey till Pune ( and of course the last nail in the coffin for me is the 1hr+ city stretch in the evening in Pune as I live near the airport.. ).

I sincerely hope this abomination of a stretch gets completed as soon as possible.

[fiat_tarun]

I am so careful on this stretch looking out for the craters that my neck starts hurting with all that concentration ! The fact that my car has 17" low profile tyres adds to the stress.

I remember there was a court ruling that MH12 / MH14 vehicles need not pay toll for this stretch. Is this still valid ? I didn't see any exemption the last time I used this road in September.

Its sad that MH being such a prosperous state has such poor road quality.

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Its sad that MH being such a prosperous state has such poor road quality.

Also worth mentioning: It's surprising that Gadkari-ji being from MH can yet allow this absolutely shoddy stretch in his home state, for nearly a decade. I just don't understand it.

I did this stretch in June in my Blore-Mumbai-Blore drive and I fully agree and as I have stated in my travelogue posted in TBHP, it's the worst and most neglected and abandoned NH stretch I've ever seen in the recent past.

My travelogue here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post4836751 (Bangalore - Pune - Mumbai : Route updates & Eateries)

[ObsessedByFIAT]

I traveled on the Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum stretch twice in the current month. Once in my Nano and next in my Ecosport.

There are some really bad broken stretches of the road. Pot holes just appear suddenly. Especially, on the approach and decent of flyovers.

Crashed my Nano in multiple of these craters unfortunately.

I can't remember the last time the Pune - Karad section was any better than this. The toll charge is the highest on this stretch, standing at a whopping Rs. 95/- on side between Pune and Satara.

I also specially hate the rumble strips after Karad all the way till Kolhapur. Those are the worst thing you can treat your cars suspension components with.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

I remember there was a court ruling that MH12 / MH14 vehicles need not pay toll for this stretch. Is this still valid ? I didn't see any exemption the last time I used this road in September.

There was never a court ruling, just a statement by Supriya Sule.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-...QPuAEP4PI.html

From my post yesterday.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

One more thing: is there a cash-only lane at Khed Shivapur, towards Kolhapur? MH12/14 cars are exempt toll but since my car has Fastag, I get charged if the lane has a sensor. I couldn't find the cash only lane, either on the extreme left or right. When I raised a dispute with ICICI, they said they can't refund. On the journey back though, the extreme left lane is cash-only; the attendant looked at the reg. plate and asked me to keep going without charge.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

I remember the road from Pune to Solapur also used to be horrible (or in construction limbo) for years, with patches of good roads in-between.

Pune Solapur is one of the best roads in state, did it in March this year.

The biggest problem ( Pune - kolhapur ) over years has been two wheeler traffic/slow moving traffic has nowhere to hide. It is very risky since trucks occupy rightmost lane and you have to squeeze between trucks and two wheelers.

So i guess addition of one more lane would give a welcome respite since road surface is good beyond Satara.

I did this route in May during lockdown and i could cover Pune-Kolhapur in roughly 3.5 hours, traffic was low and driving was far from being a nightmare. It was great fun infact.

Though as many here would agree the road surface after Satara towards Pune is not leveled properly and there are lots of undulations which can give a nasty surprise.

[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Man you are scaring me. I last travelled this route back in December 2018. Managed to cover ~ 240 km from a little after the Khed Shivapur to somewhere in Belgaum district in about 2 hours 45 mins. There were a few flyovers under construction but the road surface was generally good and the diversions around the flyover sites were well planned.

So am very disappointed to see that this stretch seems to have fallen apart now. Subject to Covid and the continuously varying rules our States impose, I am
scheduled to drive down from Bombay to Goa the weekend before Christmas. It is indeed disconcerting to hear such negative feedback, as even Chorla seems to have fallen apart. Let’s see how it goes

It's not so bad I traveled from Mumbai to Bangalore on 13/14 Nov taking a break at Pune on 13 night. I left Pune at 0500 sharp and was on the lookout for 'surprise potholes' as warned beforehand. To my surprise, I didn't come across any surprises. I found the road from Satara to Belgaum brilliant. I reached Belgaum by 1030-1045 and Hubli by 1300. Yes, there are a few stretches passing through hamlets (like those in TN). But nothing to complain about.

For all those going gaga over Kar roads, the worst stretch was between Hubli and chitradurga with at least 24 (I stopped counting after that) diversions. Indeed, the best stretch was the 200km before Bangalore which was fenced completely allowing very high speeds.
I am scheduled to return to Mumbai tomorrow from Bangalore and will now be reaching Kohlapur and Satara in the evening. While I am expecting it to be worse than the onward journey, let's see how it goes.

[rahulskumar]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

==

Last month a bhpian and I rode to Kerala and can confidentally state that Karnataka State highways are 100x better in quality compared to Maharashtra.

That is because you have not driven Mangalore- Bangalore route. Last week I had to replace my cars tyre due to side wall cut, horrible stretch of 70 kms near Shirady ghats. I believe you can practice here before leaving for Leh Laddakh

[mpshah68]

I did a road trip from Mumbai to Goa last week and I have to say that whilst a good amount of stretch of the road from Kolhapur to Satara is fine the portion from Satara to Pune is exactly the opposite.

I was driving my Toyota Corolla Altis and the impact of the potholes on the car is noticeable. The potholes appear suddenly and because there is a danger on braking suddenly (there's a good chance the guy behind may rear end me) the car goes through the pothole with significant force and impact. Before embarking on this trip the car was silent and smooth. I can say this that after having returned to Mumbai there are some noises which are audible and seem to be originating from the suspension. Especially when the car travels of some uneven surfaces in the city.
I will now have to get the suspension checked and spend some money to have it repaired.

Also the road from Nipani to Goa is equally bad.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by handsofsteel

To my surprise, I didn't come across any surprises. I found the road from Satara to Belgaum brilliant. I reached Belgaum by 1030-1045 and Hubli by 1300. Yes, there are a few stretches passing through hamlets (like those in TN). But nothing to complain about.

You didn't come across any surprises because last week most of these potholes have been patched by shoving paver blocks in them. And most diversions that were washed out have a thin layer of tarmac added that will wither away in no time. The point is that after a decade of these lack lustre attempts, the road is nowhere close to completion and is undoubtedly the worst to be on.

Originally Posted by rahulskumar

That is because you have not driven Mangalore- Bangalore route. Last week I had to replace my cars tyre due to side wall cut, horrible stretch of 70 kms near Shirady ghats. I believe you can practice here before leaving for Leh Laddakh

Possibly. I will take your word for it.

[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

You didn't come across any surprises because last week most of these potholes have been patched by shoving paver blocks in them. And most diversions that were washed out have a thin layer of tarmac added that will wither away in no time. The point is that after a decade of these lack lustre attempts, the road is nowhere close to completion and is undoubtedly the worst to be on.

Possibly correct, it was dark enough for me not to be able to see these. But, my specific response was to @hayek and his impending trip.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by handsofsteel

For all those going gaga over Kar roads, the worst stretch was between Hubli and chitradurga with at least 24 (I stopped counting after that) diversions. Indeed, the best stretch was the 200km before Bangalore which was fenced completely allowing very high speeds.

That is because the 6 lane work is in progress. Once completed , it will be similar to the 120kms stretch between Tumkur and Chitradurga, a drivers delight

[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

That is because the 6 lane work is in progress. Once completed , it will be similar to the 120kms stretch between Tumkur and Chitradurga, a drivers delight

I agree, but was commenting on the state of road this week, with me encountering an uneventful ride between Pune and Satara and a painful one between Hubli and chitradurga

[IP_Man]

Absolutely agree with OP that this road in Maharashtra section is nightmare to drive and shamelessly exorbitant toll is being charged for the 'work in progress' roads.

Toll booths on this road is another sad story. Mismanagement, use of handheld scanners and no dedicated line for the ETC.

I wish, judiciary intervene and bring toll on this road to half for the unfinished roads to wake up 'National Highway Authority'.