[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I am headed to whitefield right now from Sarjapur road. Is ORR ok to take now till Marthahalli?

I don't know where on Sarjapur road you're put up at , but next time you could instead try this road if you want to go all the way to Marathahalli. It is relatively deserted around that time, and you will come out at JP Morgan underpass just before the M.bridge. ORR is highly unpredictable nowadays, especially the stretch from Iblur to Vrindavan tech village.

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...via=1&t=m&z=14

If you don't mind a few extra kilometres, even this route will at least keep you moving and free from 1st gear clutch practice.
https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...via=1&t=m&z=13

For my ITPL commute, I've stopped using ORR completely. I prefer an extension of the latter route.

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by Satshan

Generally, I have observed that transport cab drivers often drive from the wrong side. These drivers are more reckless, drive as they rule the whole road with no fear of being caught. Traffic conditions seems worsening in Bangalore.

Today morning, near the ISRO gate on ORR, between Marathahalli and Mahadevpura where we take the U-Turn to come back towards Marathahalli, 8 A.M: A Chaitanya E-Techno School bus was coming on the wrong side of the road at a fairly good speed.

I could not take down the number or a photo since I was driving.

If you have kids in Chaitanya E-techno school or know anybody in the administration, please let them know this.

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Thank god I work in Electronics City and not Whitefield. Whitefield trips are once in a few months.

My primary office is in Whitefield. But I book a conference room and work out of Ecospace most of the time. Here is when I get to drive (from BTM) my car too.

The days when I have to travel to Whitefield, for any meetings, etc, I take the office bus. Makes life lot easier in the bus. They take their own sweet time in traffic and my manager can't blame me for coming late to office.

PS: The reason I stay in BTM is, me and wifey were working in EC when we got married. So we rented out a house in BTM (was the nearest civilization from EC then). Few months after marriage, we left our companies in EC and I joined in Whitefield and wifey joined near Richmond Circle. 6years later, BTM and its surroundings have become so familiar, we don't want to relocate anywhere else in B'lore.

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

If you don't mind a few extra kilometres, even this route will at least keep you moving and free from 1st gear clutch practice.
https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...via=1&t=m&z=13

For my ITPL commute, I've stopped using ORR completely. I prefer an extension of the latter route.

I think Viddy knows this route. I have read him mention it before. But isn't the Carmelaram road crowded now a days? After the level crossing at Decathlon was closed, many people have discovered the alternative option via Martin farm. Heavy vehicles are not supposed to take this narrow road, so they have been given an option to go via Kodathi village. This option is very long, and the road is very bad. So I hear that certain "Aishwarya Rai" buses go via Martin farm road, and end up choking it, as well as choking Carmelaram road.

After the recent rains, the potholes of Gunjur and Varthur have grown bigger. I see these potholes being born, and growing slowly. Then one day, they feed on the heavy rains and grow wide overnight. With elections almost 5 years away, I guess we will not see any fixes for a few more years.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

I think Viddy knows this route. I have read him mention it before. But isn't the Carmelaram road crowded now a days? After the level crossing at Decathlon was closed, many people have discovered the alternative option via Martin farm. Heavy vehicles are not supposed to take this narrow road, so they have been given an option to go via Kodathi village. This option is very long, and the road is very bad. So I hear that certain "Aishwarya Rai" buses go via Martin farm road, and end up choking it, as well as choking Carmelaram road.

It is crowded at certain times in the morning, usually around that train arrival time when there is rush-hour traffic build-up. There's a train which arrives at Carmelaram at ~8.45 and another one ~1 hour later. Before 8.30AM or after 10AM, I find this road to be okay. Heck, anything is better than that Bellandur ORR traffic jam near Ecospace which sometimes stretches to several kilometres due to silly reasons!

After the recent rains, the potholes of Gunjur and Varthur have grown bigger. I see these potholes being born, and growing slowly. Then one day, they feed on the heavy rains and grow wide overnight. With elections almost 5 years away, I guess we will not see any fixes for a few more years.

True, there are a few potholes on that stretch. First timers will need to be careful, but repeated use of the road will see people taking the 'racing line' since they will know where those 5-6 notorious potholes are. I doubt road maintenance on this stretch has anything to do with elections at all. I've been using the Gunjur-Varthur-Hope farm route since last year, and the apathy has been there even before the May elections this year.

There was a bit of re-tarring done on Sarjapur road sometime in February, but sadly that is restricted to the stretch between Carmelaram crossing and Total mall. As you said, rains have taken a toll again on the entire stretch. I guess the choice is now between good roads and traffic jams v/s bad roads and relatively flowing traffic.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

I don't know where on Sarjapur road you're put up at , but next time you could instead try this road if you want to go all the way to Marathahalli. It is relatively deserted around that time, and you will come out at JP Morgan underpass just before the M.bridge. ORR is highly unpredictable nowadays, especially the stretch from Iblur to Vrindavan tech village.

I stay near the Total Mall on Sarjapur road. The Varthur route through Carmelaram was my standard route when the ORR underpass and flyovers were being built.

Now with the Decathlon railway crossing closed, the Carmelaram route gets clogged quite often. And nowadays I have seen traffic build up at the narrow Varthur village. These roads are equally unpredictable and when they get clogged it's usually a big one.

My client's office is near SAP labs after graphite india. There's also a route next to shell bunk on Varthur main road which lands up close to the office but I got there stuck twice for more than an hour. Went back to main road after that. It's mayhem on narrow single village roads when there's traffic.

The other route behind Adarsh Palm retreat I haven't tried in a few years as last time there was no tar on it even. I don't try roads which I am not sure if they are bad or not. Just a few weeks ago I donated a mud flap to HSR layout.

Originally Posted by rohanjf

I think Viddy knows this route. I have read him mention it before. But isn't the Carmelaram road crowded now a days? After the level crossing at Decathlon was closed, many people have discovered the alternative option via Martin farm.

Exactly, this route from Carmelaram is now heavily used. I took it last saturday to go to Hoskote side for Toyota service centre. It usually takes me around 45mins from home to Toyota. On saturday it took me 1 hour 40mins.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

I think Viddy knows this route. I have read him mention it before. But isn't the Carmelaram road crowded now a days? After the level crossing at Decathlon was closed, many people have discovered the alternative option via Martin farm.

Thats true. Even if that part was empty, then this route is good, if you need to go to ITPL. You drive all the way till Hope farm and come back.

Only portion I dont like is one can get stuck in Varthur village and secondly there used to many many speed break on this SH. Dont know if its still the case.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Now with the Decathlon railway crossing closed, the Carmelaram route gets clogged quite often. And nowadays I have seen traffic build up at the narrow Varthur village. These roads are equally unpredictable and when they get clogged it's usually a big one.

If you stay near total mall, I guess its a bit far off to consider even that first route (left after IOC bunk) which I used to take to travel to my ex-office. Else if you had stayed somewhere near Wipro, that would have been a better option than ORR. That road's relatively better than Carmelaram at least to reach the M.bridge.

Originally Posted by ampere

Only portion I dont like is one can get stuck in Varthur village and secondly there used to many many speed break on this SH. Dont know if its still the case.

Lots of speed breakers and potholes are there between Gunjur and Varthur. It is tough to maintain speed, but at least we are moving in gears 2, 3 or 4 rather than de-clutching in gear 1 . That lake stretch used to be a driver's delight, but the road has deteriorated a bit after the rains.

[deadguy25]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

The days when I have to travel to Whitefield, for any meetings, etc, I take the office bus. Makes life lot easier in the bus. They take their own sweet time in traffic and my manager can't blame me for coming late to office.

Mate,

Do you try and ensure your bus driver drives responsibly? Meaning, he does not drive rashly??

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by deadguy25

Mate,
Do you try and ensure your bus driver drives responsibly? Meaning, he does not drive rashly??

The bus driver on my route - BTM > Whitefield is a very peaceful chap. He drives pretty decently. Very less lane changing, forget about overspeeding. So when I reach office, I find most of the buses have already arrived. If my manager is already in office, I just nod my head in disgust, suggesting that I was not driving the bus.
The bus driver on my return journey is a bit agressive, but I give him full marks for saving people (Read: 2wheelers) from suicide attempts.

[deadguy25]

There is a lot of confusion near the ecospace-ORR junction.
Looks like the service road is still not ready causing employees from eco- space to cut-across the ORR to go below the flyover, it leads to a huge pile-up of vehicles coming-in from Marathahalli.
Why cant those guys (whoever is responsible) fix-up the roads?
Extremely annoying.

The sad plight of people waiting to board BMTC buses on that puny median is a grave concern (opposite eco-space). If they slip a bit or if they get nipped by any vehicles' ORVM they will get injured.

Extreme callousness and atrocious attitude of people in power! They take road tax from us, but hardly put to use. They make a lot of money out of the volvos, the least these guys can do is build atleast a thatched bus shelter and 2x5 feet of bus stop.

I wonder if they would be this less caring if their kin had to wait for a bus there, braving the rain and danger. It is appalling. Men can somehow manage, what about women? I am at times tempted to ask if anyone needs a lift until silk board, but then, refrain from it lest they misunderstand me.
I have offered guys a drop\lift until silk board when it rains (i know it is extremely risky) but then what about women?

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by deadguy25

There is a lot of confusion near the ecospace-ORR junction.

Whatever said about this location is less, and likewise whatever abuses for the people responsible for the mess, is less.

I am at times tempted to ask if anyone needs a lift until silk board, but then, refrain from it lest they misunderstand me. I have offered guys a drop\lift until silk board when it rains (i know it is extremely risky) but then what about women?

Haaahaaahaaa, the last thing is someone thrashing you for offering lift to women. lol...Just kidding.

[itwasntme]

Surprised no one has posted their experience about yesterday's evening (10th) commute. Took me thrice the usual time on my way home from the Jayanagar BDA complex area towards Yelahanka.

Windsor Manor section was completely stationary for more than 45 minutes during heavy rain. And the less said about Mekhri Circle, the better. Kodigehalli signal was backed up from before Esteem Mall.

I am dreading the next 2 months now :-(

[rohittunga]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Surprised no one has posted their experience about yesterday's evening (10th) commute. Took me thrice the usual time on my way home from the Jayanagar BDA complex area towards Yelahanka.

Windsor Manor section was completely stationary for more than 45 minutes during heavy rain. And the less said about Mekhri Circle, the better. Kodigehalli signal was backed up from before Esteem Mall.

I am dreading the next 2 months now :-(

I really feel bad for you mate. You have to drive right through the heart of the city and there is no "realistic" alternative either. That bloody jam at Kodigehalli just boils my blood. Apparently this situation is going to continue for a long time as they have dug up a portion of road at Kodigehalli junction towards Sahakarnagar.

So as a result, a bottle neck has formed for traffic coming from Sahakarnagar / Kodigehalli towards Bellary road. Therefore the cops will manually adjust the signal so that more time is allocated to them and as a result the traffic on the main road just gets worse.

I was just looking at that junction on Google Maps now and its not looking good at 4.30 pm. Just imagine the situation at 7 or 8 in the evening

[superutp]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I stay near the Total Mall on Sarjapur road. The Varthur route through Carmelaram was my standard route when the ORR underpass and flyovers were being built.

Vid, what route do you take from your place to Semicon Park and back?