[drhoneycake]

Hi guys,

I have a 1 day trip towards Kolar-Chikballapur and back to Bangalore and I have drafted the plan below.

Please let me know about the route to take, road conditions and any alternate routes if available.

Some points to note:-
1) I stay in JP Nagar
2) Have to pick up two friends (one at Bellandur and KR Puram)
3) Another friend to be picked up at Kolar
4) Attend Colleague's wedding at Chintamani (basically lunch)
5) Drop one friend at Chikballapur
6) Head home by evening
7) Drop friends at respective places.

Any inputs and suggestions that would help make this trip fruitful are welcome.
Car is a Fluidic Verna CRDi.

Google maps gave me the following:-



P.S:- Mods can delete it or move it if it this topic is innappropriate. Searched quite a lot, but couldn't find any info regarding this route.

Regards,
Dr. Aniketh Sharma

[ampere]

Originally Posted by drhoneycake

I have a 1 day trip towards Kolar-Chikballapur and back to Bangalore and I have drafted the plan below.

Kolar-Chintamani is decent. Chintamani-Chikkaballapur NH234 is fantastic. Be aware of humps when it enters villages. And at some places its narrow. But other wise quite good all the way.

[condor]

If you have to drop the two friends before you return, then you could take ORR from Hebbal fly-over, go towards KR Puram / Bellandur and then return to JP Nagar

[drhoneycake]

Thanks Condor and Ampere.

Have never travelled on these routes, hence the query. Will update the road condition with pictures when I travel on the 12th of this month.

Thanks again and regards,
Dr. Aniketh Sharma

[ampere]

Originally Posted by drhoneycake

Thanks Condor and Ampere.

Have never travelled on these routes, hence the query. Will update the road condition with pictures when I travel on the 12th of this month.

Thanks again and regards,
Dr. Aniketh Sharma

Chikballapur-Chintamani-Mulbagal now is NH234. It earlier a SH. We had been on this road almost year and a half back and it was fantastic. Dont expect the conditions to change as there is hardly any traffic on these sectors.

[Pam81]

Originally Posted by ampere

Chikballapur-Chintamani-Mulbagal now is NH234. It earlier a SH. We had been on this road almost year and a half back and it was fantastic. Don't expect the conditions to change as there is hardly any traffic on these sectors.

I am planning to drive from Pune to Tirupati by Aug 24 this year. Even though, it's almost 3 year since you have driven on this stretch (purely going by this dated post ), would like to check if there's any recent update and Can I take this stretch for Tirupati? I am planning to divert from Dabaspet to Chintamani and continue on NH 234. I am planning to drive till Tirupati without stopping over at Bangalore. Need your advice if evening / night drive ok on this road? Speed breakers, diversions...? Appreciate your help!!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Pam81

I am planning to divert from Dabaspet to Chintamani and continue on NH 234. I am planning to drive till Tirupati without stopping over at Bangalore. Need your advice if evening / night drive ok on this road? Speed breakers, diversions...? Appreciate your help!!

I know for sure that Chikkaballapur-Mulbagal is good. A few rough patches here and there and narrow roads and humps while crossing villages.

Sira-Madhugiri-Gauribidanur-Chikkaballaur : Not sure about this status. But I am fairly confident it should motor able too. I would however suggest this whole section from Sira to Mulbagal be done during day time. Wont suggest late evenings/dusk time etc. Its not that its desolate, but being 2-lane and (in case of being narrow), it may not worth it.

But I think NH207 from Dobbaspet to Hoskote and there on to the 4-lane may be a better option. As it maximizes your 4-lane coverage.

It would also be good to find the state of construction at Doddaballapur.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by Pam81

I am planning to drive from Pune to Tirupati by Aug 24 this year. ......I am planning to drive till Tirupati without stopping over at Bangalore. Need your advice if evening / night drive ok on this road? Speed breakers, diversions...? Appreciate your help!!

Originally Posted by ampere

I know for sure that Chikkaballapur-Mulbagal is good. A few rough patches here and there and narrow roads and humps while crossing villages.
......
But I think NH207 from Dobbaspet to Kolar and there on to the 4-lane may be a better option. As it maximises your 4-lane coverage.
It would also be good to find the state of construction at Doddaballapur.

Last year I have done: (1) Doddaballapur-Devanahalli section and (2) Hoskote- Hcross - Jangamakote Cross - Devanahalli section

Based on this, I would recommend the following route for Pam81:
Dabaspet - Take right turn at TB Cross (Doddaballapura) - Devanahalli (continue straight when you cross Bangalore-Hyderabad highway) - Vijayapura Bypass - Proceed straight at Jangamakote cross - Proceed straight at H-Cross - Reach Kolar - Proceed via Bangalore-Tirupati highway.

Road quality ranges from very good to motorable most of the time. Still as ampere sugessted, I would recommend this route only for daytime. Do keep a watch for 2-wheeler traffic near small towns on the way - but nothing overwhelming.

Also, Pam81, if this is your first time on this highway - please be forewarned. The national highway between Bangalore-Tirupati is 4-lanes only up to KA-AP border (Gaddurur toll plaza). After that, it is undivided 2-lane section all the way up to Tirupati with considerable amount of truck traffic and some ghat section thrown in. Do expect lot of overtaking manuvers. Be careful and drive safe.

[Pam81]

Originally Posted by srvm

Also, Pam81, if this is your first time on this highway - please be forewarned. The national highway between Bangalore-Tirupati is 4-lanes only up to KA-AP border (Gaddurur toll plaza). After that, it is undivided 2-lane section all the way up to Tirupati with considerable amount of truck traffic and some ghat section thrown in. Do expect lot of overtaking maneuvers. Be careful and drive safe.

Just to make sure I understand correctly, from Kolar, is Bangalore - Tirupari hwy passing through Palamner and Chittoor? Please confirm. This would change my plans to stay overnight at Bangalore if I were to take your suggestion not to drive during late evening / night in this stretch.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by Pam81

Just to make sure I understand correctly, from Kolar, is Bangalore - Tirupari hwy passing through Palamner and Chittoor? Please confirm. This would change my plans to stay overnight at Bangalore if I were to take your suggestion not to drive during late evening / night in this stretch.

Yes, the route passes through Palamner and Chittoor. There is a Chittoor bypass road which you can use to bypass the town. This bypass-road is in good condition and you will join the highway at a place called Murukambattu.
In general, I avoid this Bangalore-Tirupati route in night time. There is too much bus and lorry traffic with lots of powerful high-beam to tackle. Add the need to do careful overtaking manuvers, the driver ends up very tired by the time one reaches Tirupati.

[blackstallion76]

Friends - I need to travel to Hyderabad via Chinthamani as I need to pickup my friend enroute. I see there are two options.

Option 1: Chinthamani - Chikballapur - good roads

Option 2: Chinthamani - Bagepalli and reach NH7 - Need to know if this road is good.
Chintamani --> Bagepalli --> Pennakonda --> Ananthapur.

Pls suggest.

[Sampath Kumar]

Dear friends,
I had a recent trip last week from Madgaon to Chennai. (Driving my Mitsubishi lancer). I intend to share regarding the road conditions between Sira and Mulbagal as I diverted from the NH4 at Sira (Feariing the Bangalore traffic in the evening time). It's a long time interest to travel on this route which was a state highway for long and was upgraded as a national highway (234) a few years back.

My route from Madgaon to Chennai was as follows. Madgaon - Karwar- Kumta (to pick up a friend)- Devimane ghat- Sirsi- Haveri- Sira- Gauribidanur- Chikkaballapura- Chintamani- Srinivaspura- Mulbagal- Palamaneru- Gudiyattam- Pallikonda- Sriperumbudur (MGR statue)- Manimangalam- Tambaram- Chromepet (Home).

I diverted from the NH4 at Sira at 14.50 hrs . The road is very good till a few Kms before Gauribidanur. The railway level crossing gate at Gauribidanur is totally closed for road traffic as the construction of a new flyover is on. You have to divert following a sign few Kms before entering Gauribidanur and this road leads to a narrow under bridge to cross the railway line. (Cars and vans can pass through easily).
The road between Gauribidanur and Chikkaballapura is in horrible state as of now. Construction of new road is going on at a few places. It is better to take the Madhugiri-Thondebhavi-chikkaballapura route to avoid Gauribidanur and most of the poor road conditions on this route. There is a small ghat while approaching Chikkaballapura and the road is ok. Crossing the old NH7 at Chikkaballapura is a pain with a few diversions and heavy traffic for a small stretch. After Chikkaballapura the road till Mulbagal is very good and we did 90-110 constantly. We. Joined the NH4 at Mulbagal byepass at 18.50 hrs. Exactly 4 hrs for this route including a few hiccups at Gauribidanur and Chikkaballapura and also a 15 minute tea break at Chimtamani. The entire stretch is good to drive during day time only. Please avoid this route if you are travelling with family, especially during night time.
The road after mulbagal is also on 4 lane construction mode and has a few diversions till palamaneru. Fearing heavy traffic ahead and considering the suggestion from Google, I diverted to the pallikonda route at palamaneru. Surprisingly this route is excellent except for a lonely patch and also for the sharp turns at the pallikonda town. Once joined the NH at pallikonda, it's a breeze till home. (Left Madgaon in the morning at 5.30 and reached chromepet at 23.30.

I started from Chromepet on the next day at 14.00 hrs and took the same route till Palamaneru/mulbagal. I took the Mulbagal -Hoskote- Devanahalli- Dodballapura- Dabaspete route. Reached Dabaspete at 21.00 hrs. The traffic on Hoskote town, Devanahalli and Dodballapur towns caused a slight delay. After dinner near Tumkur, we drove through the night and reached Kumta at 5.30 in the morning and reached Madgaon at 08.30.

Regards,
S.Sampathkumar.