[ravib]

Originally Posted by luvurride

I stay in Whitefield as well and my preference has always been the Chittoor route. Here is why - During any part of the day, I don't get struck in traffic while exiting Whitefield and reaching Hoskote via Kadugodi. Whereas, the minimum time taken to reach Hosur via Varthur, Sarjapur, Bagalur is 45min-1hr. Besides, this route is also unpredictably prone to jams.

My average travel time from Whitefield-Chittoor has been 2:15 mins. Chittoor-Ranipet is another 45mins-1hr. The rest of the journey is anyway part of the Walajah-Sriperumbudur-Chennai NH46 which is a pain whichever route you take. This consumes about 1:30 hrs. It takes an hour more when I do this route at nights.

So day running time is usually 4:30 - 5 hrs and night is usually 5:30 - 6 hrs. As @binand rightly said, there is not much of a time difference between both routes.

+1 @luvurride points. Mine is also same experience. i can do door-to-door in 5 hours as i stay in C.V.Raman Nagar.

I would also call out that in GQ route, there are good chances that you spend more time in tolls and paying more money. It gets bad when there is any festival/long weekend. But we have a pretty good saving in terms of time & money when NH4 is opted.

However, when it comes to safety and food options & traveling with family, GQ is far better.

-Ravi

[Mr_Bean]

Originally Posted by luvurride

So day running time is usually 4:30 - 5 hrs and night is usually 5:30 - 6 hrs. As @binand rightly said, there is not much of a time difference between both routes.

Originally Posted by ravib

+1 @luvurride points. Mine is also same experience. i can do door-to-door in 5 hours as i stay in C.V.Raman Nagar.

I would also call out that in GQ route, there are good chances that you spend more time in tolls and paying more money. It gets bad when there is any festival/long weekend. But we have a pretty good saving in terms of time & money when NH4 is opted.

However, when it comes to safety and food options & traveling with family, GQ is far better.

-Ravi

I've never taken this stretch. Can you please comment on the following?
1.) Quality of roads
2.) Fuel efficiency as against the GQ
3.) Precise toll amount all the way to Chennai, as you said definitely cheaper when compared to 350-400/- INR one would pay on GQ
4.) Percentage of 2 lane roads till Chennai

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bean

I've never taken this stretch. Can you please comment on the following?
1.) Quality of roads
2.) Fuel efficiency as against the GQ
3.) Precise toll amount all the way to Chennai, as you said definitely cheaper when compared to 350-400/- INR one would pay on GQ
4.) Percentage of 2 lane roads till Chennai

1) Good throughout, except for a small stretch after mulbagal bypass for few kms.
2) In my experience, i have always got better FE in NH4 chittoor route than in GQ. I feel in my case lesser FE in GQ because of high speeds.
3) I think approximately 140 to 150 (61+35+40) rupees or so. You can go through this thread to get exact toll amount
4) From KR Puram to Chennai is about 320 kms. From KR Puram to Mulbagal bypass is 85 kms excellent 4L. After which 2L roads for about 100+ kms. Once you cross Ranipet and join back in GQ, the remaining stretch is 4L.

-Ravi

[shankar.balan]

Is there a way to completely avoid that horrid Porur entry into Madras?
If so, how?

Basically if one were to want to reach Kotturpuram in Madras, how would one achieve it while avoiding Porur?

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Is there a way to completely avoid that horrid Porur entry into Madras?
If so, how?

Basically if one were to want to reach Kotturpuram in Madras, how would one achieve it while avoiding Porur?

Take poonamallee bypass after motel highways and proceed further till Anna arch. After Anna arch signal, take Nelson manickam road - loyla college - sterling road - college road - M G Road - cathedral road - TTK Road. On a Sunday, the route will be relatively clear with less traffic.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Gokrish

Take poonamallee bypass after motel highways and proceed further till Anna arch. After Anna arch signal, take Nelson manickam road - loyla college - sterling road - college road - M G Road - cathedral road - TTK Road. On a Sunday, the route will be relatively clear with less traffic.

Does this mean that I shall have to climb up that flyover which takes one along somewhere in the vicinity of Poonamallee?

By the way, how did you guess I was contemplating this travel on a Sunday?

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Does this mean that I shall have to climb up that flyover which takes one along somewhere in the vicinity of Poonamallee?

By the way, how did you guess I was contemplating this travel on a Sunday?

No you shouldn't take that flyover as that will land you into Poonamallee. You have to stay on the left lane avoiding that flyover, which will then lead you to Koyambedu junction. Now there is a flyover here, this- you take and proceed straight till Anna Arch and then take the right on the signal(you'll see the Ampa Skywalk mall). I'm just quoting one of my earlier posts here which might help although it is more for first-timers. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3241318

Now if you are not travelling on a Sunday, here is an alternative through Manimangalam:
https://goo.gl/maps/NTGjW

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by luvurride

No you shouldn't take that flyover as that will land you into Poonamallee. You have to stay on the left lane avoiding that flyover, which will then lead you to Koyambedu junction. Now there is a flyover here, this- you take and proceed straight till Anna Arch and then take the right on the signal(you'll see the Ampa Skywalk mall). I'm just quoting one of my earlier posts here which might help although it is more for first-timers. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3241318

Now if you are not travelling on a Sunday, here is an alternative through Manimangalam:
https://goo.gl/maps/NTGjW

Basically am I to understand that instead of taking the right turn under the flyover opposite that Saveetha College, which takes me to Porur/ Ramachandra Med College etc, I am to continue straight and climb the flyover itself (where there is a sign saying Maduravoyal etc) and keep on at it till I hit Koyambedu Flyover?
At which time I shall have to take the Koyambedu Flyover thereby flying over the actual old Koyambedu junction and the veggie market etc and literally come down to earth around that Anna Nagar arch?

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Basically am I to understand that instead of taking the right turn under the flyover opposite that Saveetha College, which takes me to Porur/ Ramachandra Med College etc, I am to continue straight and climb the flyover itself (where there is a sign saying Maduravoyal etc) and keep on at it till I hit Koyambedu Flyover?
At which time I shall have to take the Koyambedu Flyover thereby flying over the actual old Koyambedu junction and the veggie market etc and literally come down to earth around that Anna Nagar arch?

Yes you are right. The Koyambedu touches down EARTH at Arumbakkam well before Anna Arch. It was just a guess that I had thought you would be travelling on a Sunday. Again depending on the destination at kotturpuram, you may either take Mount Road-Chamiers Road or Cathedral Road-TTK Road.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Gokrish

Yes you are right. The Koyambedu touches down EARTH at Arumbakkam well before Anna Arch. It was just a guess that I had thought you would be travelling on a Sunday. Again depending on the destination at kotturpuram, you may either take Mount Road-Chamiers Road or Cathedral Road-TTK Road.

Thank you. That seems a more sensible routing. Will try it this time.

Reconfirming now:

Take the flyover which goes over the right turn to Porur. Continue straight till I hit another flyover, which is basically the Koyambedu flyover.
Go over that and when I touch down I shall be in the region of Anna Nagar Arch.

Are there any landmarks I need to look out for, between the Porur flyover and the Koyambedu one?

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Thank you. That seems a more sensible routing. Will try it this time.

Reconfirming now:

Take the flyover which goes over the right turn to Porur. Continue straight till I hit another flyover, which is basically the Koyambedu flyover.
Go over that and when I touch down I shall be in the region of Anna Nagar Arch.

Are there any landmarks I need to look out for, between the Porur flyover and the Koyambedu one?

Important landmarks are - Thiruverkadu Temple Arch on your left and Maduravayal police station on your right as you proceed on the Poonamallee bypass. This is a simple straight road with some twists and turns in between but keep continuing your driving on Poonamalle High Road.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Does this mean that I shall have to climb up that flyover which takes one along somewhere in the vicinity of Poonamallee?

By the way, how did you guess I was contemplating this travel on a Sunday?

Shankar,

To add to others, if all you want is to bypass that horrible Poonamallee traffic, get on to Porur road and head to Kathipara via Ramachandra hospital, take the following route:

Others might have explained it. Here its in simpler terms.
- Don't take the Poonamallee flyover.
- Go past on NH4. When you see the next flyover, go below and take right (basically going under the flyover and cross).
- Take that road and it would lead you to the genesis of Porur road just outside Poonamallee.

Hope that helps. Here is the route link:

Route Link

And this is again thanks to @luvuride's suggestion. I tried it once and now I use all the time.
You can use the same while coming back too.

[binand]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Is there a way to completely avoid that horrid Porur entry into Madras?
If so, how?

Basically if one were to want to reach Kotturpuram in Madras, how would one achieve it while avoiding Porur?

The Porur route is not quite as bad as you make out, these days. The road has been widened considerably - you can reach St. Thomas Mount from Poonamallee in about 15-20 minutes even during weekdays daytime (and IITM/Kotturpuram in 30-35 minutes). Once the flyover at the junction with Arcot Road is completed, this route will become even quicker to reach south Chennai.

[arulpeem]

Originally Posted by binand

Once the flyover at the junction with Arcot Road is completed, this route will become even quicker to reach south Chennai.

Unfortunately the current government has stopped the work and no work is in progress there and it is sad. In peak hours at least 10 minutes could he gained if the bridge is in place.
But, yes, the traffic is much smoother than earlier and this is only way to reach Kotturpuram.

[shyamk]

I remember reading in the newpaper sometime early 2013 that there are metrowater pipes under the junction that need to be shifted to continue the flyover work.

As always, things drag when multiple agencies come into picture !

Shyam