[blackstallion27]

I have to drive from Chennai to Siliguri next week in my Ertiga with my dog. Considering the recent posts which is the best route from Kolkata to Siliguri? Would Dumka-Bhagalpur be better? or is there any completely different route which I can take from Chennai which would make the overall trip more comfortable?

[rahul_kej]

Originally Posted by blackstallion27

I have to drive from Chennai to Siliguri next week in my Ertiga with my dog. Considering the recent posts which is the best route from Kolkata to Siliguri? Would Dumka-Bhagalpur be better? or is there any completely different route which I can take from Chennai which would make the overall trip more comfortable?

If possible come via Bodh Gaya and skip coming via Kolkata.
Go through the last few posts of this thread as it is the latest update and a 1st hand report.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...queries-7.html

[blackstallion27]

Originally Posted by rahul_kej

If possible come via Bodh Gaya and skip coming via Kolkata

Thank you for the suggestion. So Bhubaneshwar-Kharagpur-Bodhgaya-Siliguri (via Purnea, Araria) is probably the best route in terms of road conditions with least deviation.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by blackstallion27

Thank you for the suggestion. So Bhubaneshwar-Kharagpur-Bodhgaya-Siliguri (via Purnea, Araria) is probably the best route in terms of road conditions with least deviation.

From where did Araria fit in?

[blackstallion27]

Originally Posted by Sheel

From where did Araria fit in?

By routing through Araria, Panitanki and Naxalbari, the Islampur stretch can be avoided.

[blackstallion27]

Originally Posted by rahul_kej

If possible come via Bodh Gaya and skip coming via Kolkata.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...queries-7.html

Originally Posted by Sheel

Till Biharsharif [when you, merge into road no 20 from 120 as shown in G-Maps] you will come across sparse traffic. From Biharsharif to Bakhtiarpur, traffic density will pick up. From Bakhtiarpur to Mokamah bridge the road isn't perfectly paved and there will a bit of crowd on the road, take caution & drive slow here.

Thanks to all the suggestions, I completed an enjoyable drive from Chennai to Bagdogra via Gaya yesterday.

The total distance covered was 2800 km and was completed in five days of day time driving. I started the drive on Wednesday morning and reached my destination on Sunday evening.

My halts were at Rajahmundry, Bhubaneshwar, Kharagpur and Gaya. The plan was to stick to good roads as far as possible. I took the Golden Quadrilateral from Kharagpur to Dhobhi skirting Kolkata rather than the highway from Kharagpur to Raniganj via Bankura. The Kolkata Dhobhi stretch was a disappointment after Panagarh. The diversions due to under construction bridges and the road conditions until well into Jharkhand were major spoilers of this stretch. Gaya to Bagdogra was via Bihar Sharif, Bhaktiyarpur, Begusarai and Purnea as was suggested in the other thread. The roads were in good shape and no serious deteriorations. The Gaya Bagdogra stretch was done on a Sunday and was probably the reason for absolutely no jams enroute. The crossing of Mokamah Bridge was also smooth. Absolutely no regrets in the additional time and distance on the road for this diversion through Gaya rather than taking the direct route from Kolkata to Bagdogra.

The only problem I faced was between Purnea and Bagdogra where I attempted the Naxalbari route. On reaching Bahardurganj, I was diverted towards Kishangunj thanks to a broken bridge. The road from Bahadurganj to Kishanganj was literally non existent and forced me back to the Islampur route which I wanted to avoid. So, atleast for the next few days the Naxalbari route is a no go!

The Kishanganj to Islampur stretch had the top layer missing in most of the places and Islampur had a number of potholes and craters. Fortunately, there were no rains and it was easier to maneuver them. There were three of very bad patches which can cause damage to cars just short of Bagdogra.

As far as the overall trip goes, there were very few good places to eat on the highway, Begusarai being an exception and watch out for grazing cattle on the greenery of the medians running on to the road.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by blackstallion27

The only problem I faced was between Purnea and Bagdogra where I attempted the Naxalbari route. On reaching Bahardurganj, I was diverted towards Kishangunj thanks to a broken bridge. The road from Bahadurganj to Kishanganj was literally non existent and forced me back to the Islampur route which I wanted to avoid. So, atleast for the next few days the Naxalbari route is a no go!

I really do not know as to what made you attempt that route. It is a single carriage way with broken road and lots of local traffic from Araria.

[Ishan Kelkar]

Originally Posted by blackstallion27

Thanks to all the suggestions, I completed an enjoyable drive from Chennai to Bagdogra via Gaya yesterday.
==============
As far as the overall trip goes, there were very few good places to eat on the highway, Begusarai being an exception and watch out for grazing cattle on the greenery of the medians running on to the road.

That was a very useful information from your side. I am planning to drive solo from Tezpur to Nagpur in the next week. Hope the rains don't make things worse.

[prk265]

I was planning a road trip to Bhutan via NH 34 during Oct. Now with the condition of the NH 34 as per the latest updates, I am rethinking my options.

[PointZero]

You can take Burdwan(NH2) -> SH7 -> Moregram -> Botolbari -> NH31. Just traveled 10 days ago while returning from Tincheley. Its much better than taking NH-34 till Moregram.

Originally Posted by prk265

I was planning a road trip to Bhutan via NH 34 during Oct. Now with the condition of the NH 34 as per the latest updates, I am rethinking my options.

[Sheel]

The Dalkola to Kishangunj stretch is being relaid. Expect smooth tarmac by mid October in this part.

Islampur's internal road [NH 31] is being redone as well.

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by Sheel

The Dalkola to Kishangunj stretch is being relaid. Expect smooth tarmac by mid October in this part.

What about Hansdiha-Bhagalpur section? Has the road repair work on Hansdiha-Bhagalpur stretch started already?

[PointZero]

If you going through NH34 then you can take Botolbari road to avoid the Dalkola to Kishangunj stretch and congestion at Dalkhola.

Originally Posted by Sheel

The Dalkola to Kishangunj stretch is being relaid. Expect smooth tarmac by mid October in this part.

Islampur's internal road [NH 31] is being redone as well.

[gmhossain]

We returned from Malda yesterday. Although I was not driving myself, but we did travel on a stretch between Farakka and Malda through NH-34.

The good news is that 4-laning work within Kaliachak town is now almost complete. The work on service lane is still going on. However, the traffic flow on inner 2+2 lane within Kaliachak is now operational. Also, the toll booth near Farakka barrage has been put into the trial mode.

While the infamous jam at Kaliachak is now mostly gone, a new traffic pile-up has started happening near Sujapur area which is around 7 km from Kaliachak towards Malda town. The 4-laning work is not yet complete in this stretch.

Cheers,

[sayakc]

Hi Golam (and Everyone who frequent NH34),

Thank you for your continuous endeavour in clarifying the NH34 route details.

With the recent developments considered, please suggest the best possible route from Kolkata to Siliguri. Would request you to provide the detours (e.g. the Botolbari-Dhantola, or Masterpara etc. ) and share the route link to the extent possible.

The conversations indicate that taking NH34 all throughout is the best possible path???

Thank You in advance,
Sayak

Originally Posted by gmhossain

The good news is that 4-laning work within Kaliachak town is now almost complete. The work on service lane is still going on. However, the traffic flow on inner 2+2 lane within Kaliachak is now operational. Also, the toll booth near Farakka barrage has been put into the trial mode.

While the infamous jam at Kaliachak is now mostly gone, a new traffic pile-up has started happening near Sujapur area which is around 7 km from Kaliachak towards Malda town. The 4-laning work is not yet complete in this stretch.

Cheers,