If you're planning to visit Rishikesh, consider postponing your trip until the Char Dham Yatra concludes.

BHPian codezilla recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Route & Traffic Update: Rishikesh / Mussoorie (Late May – Early June 2025)

If anyone is planning a trip to Rishikesh or Mussoorie over the coming weeks, here’s a first-hand route and traffic update that might help.

I drove to Rishikesh this past weekend, and while the roads are a mix of good stretches and ongoing construction zones, the biggest issue was poor traffic and route management, especially around the Haridwar-Rishikesh region due to the Char Dham Yatra.

Route Taken:

• Gurgaon → Delhi (via India Gate, Chanakyapuri)
• Onto NE3 to reach Meerut
• Meerut → Khatauli (NH-334)
• Diverted to Roorkee via Upper Ganga Canal Road - the best part of the drive with scenic views and smooth, freshly laid tarmac.
• Roorkee → Haridwar
• Haridwar → Doiwala
• Doiwala → Rishikesh

Route conditions:

• Heavy traffic on NE3 (Delhi–Meerut Expressway): Expect a mix of aggressive lane changes and high-speed overtakes, especially by private vehicles, combined with slow-moving trucks occupying multiple lanes. The lack of lane discipline makes this stretch particularly stressful, so caution is advised.
• Heavy construction-related congestion around Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, and Roorkee, primarily due to elevated highway works.
• From Haridwar onward, traffic was chaotic due to lack of administrative coordination and massive inflow of pilgrims for the Char Dham Yatra.

Major Blockages / Diversions due to Char Dham Yatra:

• NH-34 (Haridwar–Rishikesh Highway) was blocked approx. 10 km before Rishikesh, with traffic diverted towards Dehradun, causing a ~50 km detour.
• The alternate Chilla Dam route was also closed, leaving very limited viable options.
• No clear signage or information boards were placed at key diversion points, and on-ground police support was minimal or unhelpful.
• Multiple vehicles were seen stranded or making U-turns after long delays, with drivers confused about which way to go.

Recommendation:

• If you're planning to visit Rishikesh, consider postponing your trip until the Char Dham Yatra concludes. The situation is especially bad on weekends, when additional routes are shut and traffic volume increases substantially.
• If travel is unavoidable, prefer weekday travel, and be ready for long detours, unplanned diversions, and heavy congestion.

Safe travels to all BHPians—hope this helps someone avoid a frustrating trip!

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It was raining during the road trip but we did not face any landslide issues.

BHPian Meph1st0 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Travelled to Udupi on 24th and returned on 31st.

Route taken during onward journey was Bengaluru - Sakleshpura - Uppinangady - Guruvayankere - Bajagoli - Udupi.

Same route during the return, but through the Dharmastala instead of Uppinangady.

The major bad stretch of road is from Sakleshpur to the start of the Shiradi Ghat.

The 4 lane work is in progress, and once done, it should fix the roads; till then looks like it won't be fixed.

No issues with landslide/landslip.

Shiradi was a delight to drive through due to the rain.

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The road conditions are tolerable, but the traffic jam due to deviations easily adds 2 hours to the journey.

BHPian Game_of_Roads recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I stuck to the regular NH48 and did not take the detour around Sangli.

Bangalore - Dharwad

No fuss highway drive. My main gripe would be that it takes at least 100+ well past Tumkur for the good Highway drive to start. Bangalore - Tumkur is still a bit annoying with traffic, and the roads are not the best either.

Dharwad - Belgaum - Kohlapur - Satara - Pune - Navi Mumbai

TBH, the deviations and the road conditions are tolerable. There were no major potholes etc, and on a weekday, this route is definitely all right. Food and bio break halts are plenty, and so is car-related help if needed. I had a small mechanical issue after Kolhapur and surprisingly found a very helpful and capable garage that fixed the issue quickly.

The major issue is traffic. In my case, I was fine till Karad, crossing Karad was as expected with a ~10-15 min jam at the deviation. But between Karad - Pune, it was hell.

Every single deviation out of the ~10 odd deviations had a ~15-20 min jam due to the funnelling of all the inbound traffic from a wide 3 lane to a narrow 1.5 lane, and this easily added 2 hours and a LOT of frustration to the trip.

Though there was constant rain and deviations, I think these are manageable. The real issue is the combination of traffic choking up at the deviations.

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Tried different fuel pumps including Hindustan Petroleum, IOCL, Shell, Nayara and Bharat Petroleum.

BHPian nixie89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

While I took a detour to Hirakud dam on the onward journey, the return journey was a straight 3-day trip via Durgapur-Kharagpur-Bhubaneswar-Vishakhapatnam-Chennai, mostly on NH16.

There was an alternate route to consider via Jamshedpur-Beheragora which would have merged with NH16 at Brahmapur but I have some sweet memories of this route from the past and got chills when I reimagine the bad patch of roads in Beheragora. Some 80-100 kmtrs of no road near the Jaugoda and Ghatshila mining area. It was torture for my previous generation Punto and the belly barely survived that stretch. So the option was dropped straight away.

Planned to start by 5:00 but got delayed a bit by a couple of hours. Road till Durgapur was pleasant and then there was a massive traffic jam near Mejia in WB - home to the large steel factory and thermal plant. Around 2:00pm, we reached Kharagpur, where NH16 (Kolkata Chennai highway) originates from the Kolkata-Mumbai highway. My red panda and family took a breather to see the 6 lane, and the speed buzzer went on for the first time since morning. Took a refreshments break at one of the Jio BP petrol bunks and headed straight to Bhubaneswar for a good night's sleep.

Bhubaneswar has many places to visit - Konark Sun Temple, Shiva Temple and Raja-Rani Temple, to name a few. If not for the traffic jam, I had plans to visit the Konark temple in the evening to get a glimpse of the light show, perhaps next time.

Next day, we headed towards Rajamundry on NH16, passing through Chilka Lake and Chandipur. I was looking forward to the grand view of the lake from the hills but it seems the to and fro roads are different and I missed the view. If you are travelling towards Bhubaneswar on NH 16, don't miss it.

My stay at Rajamundry was at a hotel on the banks of the river - La Hospin. It's a nice cosy hotel with good food and pleasant staff. Rooms have started showing some ageing but otherwise it's very conveniently located. Took a holy bath in Godavari before commencing the journey. Drove moderately with a relaxed mood as we were heading home after two weeks and many miles on the odometer. Made it to Chennai by 10:00pm.

My views on fuel outlets

HP

Have trusted them for my diesel cars for many years now and have no complaints so far on the quantity and quality of fuel. Facilities are basic, no refreshments though.

Nayara

Refuelled at two Nayara outlets (one in Odessa and one in Jharkhand). Felt the engine was a bit smoother and power delivery was ok. Most outlets being newly established, the toilets were quite fresh and well-maintained. No refreshments here as well

BP

Prefer to use BP for petrol, though I have tried diesel and felt sluggish response - somehow I felt a drop in the engine performance. Having said so, there are very good food joints at some BP outlets. Must mention the one near Nellore which has Padmavati restaurant. It has a very well laid out set up, open sitting area in a lounge and hut-type set up.

IOCL

Stopped using them long ago after the engine was loud and had issues with the quantity.

Shell

Prefer Shell in the city but there are very few on the highways. Prefer them over HP and Nayara if available.

About Jeep Compass

Very capable car, good engine performance, great torque on demand, strong handling capabilities, stable chassis and a very ergonomic cabin. This sums up the good things, and I don't feel other cars/compact SUVs in the same league would be a match for this machine. Individual priorities for comfort and looks as well as ownership experience could differ and I do respect critic views.

There is some not-so-good stuff too - inconsistent panel gaps and alignment of metal sheets in some areas, squeezing noise sometimes from the dashboard, software update reminder every time you switch on the car, seat ventilation auto start - to name a few. Still can't fit a 1 litre water bottle on door pockets - something I struggled with Punto too.

I will put an end to this story here until my next trip.

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One lane closed at the foot of the ghat was leading to the huge backup.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Status as of 45 mins back

I had to do a trip to Salem early today and avoided driving, because of another driver's input. Happy I didn't drive. Expect at least 45mins delay between Thoppur Toll Plaza and the end of the incline because of some road works going on at the foot of the ghat - one lane closed. Guess where the backup is till? As soon as you pass the Thoppur Toll Plaza after paying a fat fee. I expect this to be the new normal for the near future until the roadworks is done.

Red all the way till the top

Traffic traffic traffic

One lane closed at the foot of the ghat - leading to the huge backup

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I’ve done this route multiple times by bus via National Highway 48, so this time I decided to take the lesser-known NH50 route.

BHPian shb19 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Just completed a round trip between Bangalore and Pune, and thought I’d share an update for anyone planning the same.

I’ve done this route multiple times by bus via the usual NH48, but with the current state of ongoing construction, especially after Belgaum, the journey has become painfully slow, often stretching to 17–19 hours.

So this time, I decided to take the lesser-known NH50 route, and honestly, it was a game-changer.

Route taken:

Bangalore → Chitradurga → Hosapete → Ilkal → Vijayapura → Solapur → Indapur → Pune

Here's my experience:

• Road quality: Surprisingly good throughout. Smooth tarmac, minimal potholes, and very few rough patches. A far better driving experience compared to the chaos of NH48 right now.
• Time taken: Managed to complete the stretch in 14–15 hours both ways with steady driving—significantly quicker than the current NH48 timings, can cruise at max speed limit throughout.

Drawbacks:

• Very few family-friendly eateries along the way. Plan your food stops carefully—carry snacks and water, especially if you're travelling with family.
• The route is dominated by truck traffic, and in case of a breakdown, help may not be readily available. You’re mostly on your own, so it’s best to avoid late-night travel on this stretch.

Final verdict:

Until the NH48 construction mess gets sorted, I’d strongly recommend NH50 for anyone doing this drive. It’s faster, smoother, and much less frustrating—just plan your essentials ahead and travel during the day. Not sure if none of the travels between Bangalore and Pune follow this route except one.

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Overall, an enjoyable drive as in the delta area most of the rivers were surprisingly flowing in peak summer because of heavy rains.

BHPian Yieldway17 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I had a quick run to Peralam last weekend and returned this Wednesday.

Onwards, I took Tindivanam-Pondy-Cuddalore-Sirkazhi-VaithiswaranKovil-Mayiladuthurai-Peralam. I didn't find shortcut to bypass Pondy as I went past it well after 10pm and was not worth the effort as town traffic was light. New highway from Cuddalore to Sirkazhi is standard fare now but I really hate driving this bumpy concrete highway.

For return, I took Peralam-Manganallur-Aduthurai-Tirupananthal-Sethiyathoppu-Vadalur-Neyveli-Panruti-Koliyanur-Villupuram-Tindivanam just for seeing how the road is between Sethiyathoppu and Koliyanur.

Tirupananthal Bypass is operational but it has a bad setup on the Kumbakonam end (similar to how this highway joins GST Road at Vikravandi directly on to the highway).

https://youtu.be/JqIFyzvibLA

The asphalt highway was such a bliss compared to the concrete mess the other highway is. Need to be cautious of a lot of confused two wheeler riders coming against you on fast lane though.

Anaikarai bridge was a short blitz of 60 seconds and I only could let a small smile of how I miss but not really miss the old Anaikarai experience.

https://youtu.be/qV61rWar1NU

I continued after Vellar bridge and Sethiyathoppu bypass instead of taking the usual Vridachalam exit.

Surprisingly, the roads were fine all through to Koliyanur from there. They have relaid most of the broken parts but they didn't pave it wide, just 2 lanes with no shoulders, so overtaking etc. can be a pain, but I didn't really hit any potholes or bad patches. There are the abandoned stretches where you have to switch sides and patched sections but it was mostly fine as I was expecting a much bad road. Except for Vadalur and Panruti town traffic, I was able to maintain 60-70kmph fine.

Sadly I could see no signs of the new contractor beginning any work on this stretch yet. Encountered heavy rain after Panruti and with low visibility exited towards Villupuram at Koliyanur and joined GST Road at Villupuram bypass and rain continued all the way till Tambaram. Koliyanur to Vikravandi was heavily damaged late last year due to rain and flooding in the area and I don't know its recent status but should be okay to drive through.

Overall, an enjoyable drive as in the delta area most of the rivers were surprisingly flowing in peak summer because of heavy rains.

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All in all Mumbai-Bangalore is still enjoyable barring the Maharashtra stretch but it will take more time.

BHPian dean5545 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Mumbai to Cochin in my BMW M340i

The route taken was Mumbai-Kolhapur-Nipani-Belgaum-Chitradurga-Bangalore-Hosur on day 1 and Salem-Coimbatore bypass-Palakkad-Kottapuram Kodungallur on day 2.

I did contemplate taking the Solapur route but I found no savings actually since the time difference was just 1.5 hours.

On day 1, I left from Malad at 5:50am and made good progress till McDonalds before Kolhapur (the one from where we turn right for Goa). Had reached the spot by 11:30am. But post that due to bridge work and multiple diversions couldn't maintain steady speeds.

Post Kolhapur, there are many stretches where the road widening work has been completed which was a welcome suprise but the major construction work between Nipani and Belgaum meant plenty of diversions. This slowed us down considerably.

We reached Hubli Dharwad Bypass around 3pm which too is undergoing road widening activity.

After crossing Dharwad post taking the right turn the road quality changes and was able to maintain good speeds without much diversions.

Usually during Mumbai-Kerala journey we halt at Salem but this time I was mentally prepared to halt at Bangalore owing to the construction work in Maharasthra. But I did not make any reservations as I wanted to try my luck to see if we can reach Salem. Decided to take a call regarding the night halt by 7:30pm.

Unfortunately at 7:30pm we were no where near Bangalore so decided to book a Hotel in Hosur. Had shortlisted ITC Fortune Hosur but they sold out for the night. With a quick call to fellow Bhpian Kailash aka kn09 we zeroed in on La Classic Hotel, Hosur.

Reached the Hotel at 10pm post travelling a distance of 1050km.

Compared to the previous drives despite travelling for lesser distance (1050 vs 1200km) I was very tired.

On Day 2 we left the hotel around 8am and reached Thrissur around 2:40pm had lunch at and then continued towards Kodungallur. Reached home at 5pm.

Coming to the road conditions:

The Cement roads of Maharashtra are very uncomfortable. Karnataka, Tamil nadu and Kerala roads are way better in that regard. Despite the multiple diversions taken I am pleased to say that the car did not bottom out any where and 95 octane petrol was available throughout.

All in all Mumbai Bangalore is still enjoyable barring the Maharashtra stretch but it will take more time. Earlier we used to reach Salem at 10:30-11pm but this time we could only reach Hosur.

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The sheer pleasure of using cruise control on my Hyundai Creta was worth every penny.

BHPian IamGetz recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Just completed the return leg from Pune to Bangalore on 17 May with an overnight stop at Hubballi.

• The return leg of the journey left much to be desired compared to the Bangalore to Pune leg. It showed up as increased journey strain cum bodyache post trip.
• Vithal Kamats Satara remains our preferred spot for breakfast. I tend to hog on the last bit of Maharastrian delicacies (misal pav, poha, sabudana vada etc) before returning to the land of masala dose, aka Bengaluru.
• Maharashtra NH 48 roads have some of the worst undulations, especially near a couple of hilly uproads. I believe these are due to loaded container trucks struggling to move uphill, with poor road quality materials, resulting in deep road undulations.
• Watch out for both unmarked speed bumps on the diversions and service roads and road humps joints near newly laid road streches. Any momentary lapse of concentration or speeding on these will surely extract a heavy toll on your vehicle's suspension and your spine.
• Karad traffic was a gigantic mess even without rains. Due to the huge pileup on the flyover joining bridge over the river, most of the cars turned right back and joined an alternative route over a smaller bridge across the river. That U-turn manoeuvre itself must have saved us at least 45 minutes.
• The toll plaza on the Maharashtra side adds to journey time and delays. I wonder why. Saw some drivers arguing with the toll plaza employees. This added to the frustration of those stuck behind in the queue.
• Entering Karnataka via Nipani-Belgavi feels like entering the gates of heaven (figuratively).
• The local road quality and waterlogging in Bangalore remain our favourite punch-bag topics, but believe me, the stretch from Belgavi to Bangalore feels nothing less than driving abroad. The sheer pleasure of using cruise control on my Creta was worth every penny, especially on this stretch.
• Denissons Hotel in Hubbali was our overnight pit stop. A nice hotel with ample parking was the best way to unwind. By the way, our pitstop on the Bangalore-Pune leg was at the Marriott in Belgavi.
• The drive from Hubballi to Bangalore was uneventful due to lower traffic volumes on Saturday. Had a late lunch enroute at Paakashala in Sira.
• As always, the Tumkuru to Nelamangala stretch remains a sticky spot with impatient drivers performing crazy overtaking manoeuvres as they approach Bangalore. Watch out for these crazies, as a lot of BHPians have recommended.

All in all, the 855 kms journey gave us a much-needed break and quality time spent with family.

Would I repeat the same route from Pune to Bangalore?

Maybe I would give the Solapur route a try for a couple of years till things settle down on NH48.

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Overall, I believe once the expressway is complete, travel will be much less stressful.

BHPian temala recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I took an unplanned trip to Chennai over the weekend.

Living near KR Puram, my usual route used to be through Hoskote, Kolar, Palamaner, Chittoor, Raniper, Kanchipuram, and Sriperambatur.

Based on suggestions from this forum, I decided to take the BCE route this time.

The drive was smooth and effortless until V-kota. However, from V-kota to Pallikonda, the journey became stressful due to traffic on the single road. Although the road from Pallikonda is newly laid, the detours for flyover constructions, especially with large containers, were quite frustrating.

Overall, I believe that once the BCE is complete, travel will be much less stressful. Only time will tell if the four-lane road will be sufficient to handle the traffic.

On a side note, during our return trip, we decided to have lunch in Vellore and chose "Vellore Kitchen," which is conveniently located right on the highway. The food was excellent, and I would definitely recommend it if you are traveling.

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